Nontherapeutic Risk Factors of Different Grouped Stage IIIC Breast Cancer Patients’ Mortality: A Study of the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Database

Abstract

Objectives. Stage IIIC breast cancer, as a local advanced breast cancer, has a poor prognosis compared with that of early breast cancer. We further investigated the risk factors of mortality in stage IIIC primary breast cancer patients and their predictive value. Methods. We extracted data from the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database of female patients with stage IIIC primary breast cancer (n = 1673) from January 2011 to December 2015. Results. Hormone receptor negativity ( $P\le 0.001$ and $P\le 0.001$ , respectively), aggressive molecular typing ( $P\le 0.001$ and $P\le 0.001$ , respectively), high T stage ( $P\le 0.001$ and $P\le 0.001$ , respectively), a high number of positive lymph nodes (≥14) ( $P=0.005$ and $P=0.001$ , respectively), and lymph node ratio (≥0.8148) ( $P\le 0.001$ and $P\le 0.001$ , respectively) were associated with poor disease-specific survival. The indicators of disease-specific survival included estrogen receptor status, progesterone receptor status, molecular typing, T stage, number of positive lymph nodes, and lymph node ratio ( $P\le 0.001$ , $P\le 0.001$ , $P\le 0.001$ , $P\le 0.001$ , $P=0.002$ , and $P\le 0.001$ , respectively). Conclusion. Hormone receptor negativity, aggressive molecular typing, high T stage, high number of positive lymph nodes, and lymph node ratio are poor prognostic factors patients with stage IIIC primary breast cancer. The efficient indicators of disease-specific survival include estrogen receptor status, progesterone receptor status, molecular typing, T stage, number of positive lymph nodes, and lymph node ratio.