FACTORS RELATED TO THE SURVIVAL OF BREAST CANCER PATIENTS WITH POSITIVE EXPRESSION OF ESTROGEN RECEPTOR RECEIVING ADJUVANT ANTIESTROGEN THERAPY

Background: Estrogen Receptor (ER) level is useful parameter to determine the response of patients to hormonal therapy. If the Estrogen Receptor level of cancer patients are not measured, or measured without monitoring the survival, then the survival and the recurrence risk of breast cancer cannot be estimated. Consequently, the appropriate management planning for the patients becomes unable to prepare. These all will decrease the patients' quality of life and increase their mortality. We evaluated the effectiveness of breast cancer treatment over the years and expected to establish a better and more precise treatment preparation for patients with breast cancer Methods: The samples consisted of breast cancer patients with who have undergone surgery and received antiestrogen therapy as well as expressed estrogen receptors. Data about patients' age, breastfeeding status, menopausal status, contraceptive use, histopathological type, and cancer stage were recorded. The survival was determined using Kaplan Meier's "Median survival" while difference between prognostic factors and breast cancer patients' survival was determined using Kruskal-Wallis test. Results: There were 36 patients with breats cancer receiving Tamoxifen antiestrogen therapy in Dr. Soetomo General Hospital during 2005-2010. The patients with breast cancer who have undergone surgery ad showed ER-positive were mostly in stage 3B. The 1-year survival of patients with ER-positive treated with antiestrogen therapy was 22.2%, while for the 5-year survival was 5.6%. The survival of patients with ER-positive treated with antiestrogen therapy was 2.60 years in average. There was no significant difference in the survival of 36 cancer patients according to age (p=0.975), breastfeeding status (p=0.298). menopausal status (p=0.355), contraceptive use (p=0.812), histopathological type (p=0.515), and cancer stage (p=0.057). Conclusion: Age, breastfeeding status, menopausal status, contraceptive use, histopathological type, and cancer stage had no significant effect to the survival of breast cancer patients.