[Patterns of recurrence and survival in breast cancer].

Sixty-nine patients have shown recurrence after curative (standard, extended and modified) mastectomy from 1969 to 1978 in our department. Recurrence patterns and prognostic factors were analyzed using life-table and log-rank methods. Thirty-four patients (49%) developed their first recurrence within two years after surgery and died within two years after that. This period seemed to be high-risk after surgery and first recurrence. The disease-free interval and survival after first recurrence seemed to be shorter with the more advanced presenting Tnm stage. The disease-free and recurrence-to-death intervals of patients with first loco-regional recurrence seemed to be longer than those with first distant metastases.