Prognostic Factors for Patients with Bone-Only Metastasis in Breast Cancer

• Published in: Yonsei medical journal Vol. 54; no. 5; pp. 1168 - 1177
• Main Authors: Ahn, Sung Gwe, Lee, Hak Min, Cho, Sang-Hoon, Lee, Seung Ah, Hwang, Seung Hyun, Jeong, Joon, Lee, Hy-De
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) Yonsei University College of Medicine 01.09.2013; 연세대학교의과대학
• Subjects: Adult; Antineoplastic Agents - therapeutic use; Bone Neoplasms - drug therapy; Bone Neoplasms - genetics; Bone Neoplasms - secondary; Breast Neoplasms - drug therapy; Breast Neoplasms - genetics; Breast Neoplasms - pathology; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Multivariate Analysis; Original; Prognosis; Receptors, Estrogen - genetics; Receptors, Progesterone - genetics; Regression Analysis; Retrospective Studies; Survival Analysis; 의학일반; bisphosphonate; bone metastses; Breast neoplasm
• ISSN: 0513-5796; 1976-2437; 1976-2437
• DOI: 10.3349/ymj.2013.54.5.1168

Bone is the most frequent site of metastasis among breast cancer patients. We investigated prognostic factors affecting survival following bone-only metastasis in breast cancer patients. The medical records of breast cancer patients who were treated and followed at Gangnam Severance Hospital retrospectively reviewed to identify patients with bone-only metastasis. The median time from the diagnosis of bone-only metastasis to the last follow-up or death was 55.2 [95% confidence interval (CI), 38.6-71.9] months. The Kaplan-Meier overall survival estimate at 10 years for all patients was 34.9%. In the multivariate Cox regression model, bisphosphonate treatment [hazard ratio=0.18; 95% CI, 0.07-0.43], estrogen receptor positivity (hazard ratio=0.51; 95% CI, 0.28-0.94), and solitary bone metastasis (hazard ratio=0.32; 95% CI, 0.14-0.72) were significantly associated with longer overall survival in the bone-only recurrence group. Among the treatment modalities, only bisphosphonate treatment was identified as a significant prognostic factor. Identifying the factors influencing breast cancer mortality after bone-only metastasis will help clarify the clinical course and improve the treatment outcome for patients with breast cancer and bone-only metastasis. Bisphosphonates, as a significant prognostic factor, warrant further investigation.