Contributions of screening, early-stage treatment, and metastatic treatment to breast cancer mortality reduction by molecular subtype in U.S. women, 2000-2017.

Abstract

1008 Background: Treatment for metastatic breast cancer has advanced since 2000, but we do not know if those advances have reduced mortality in the general population. Methods: Four Cancer Intervention and Surveillance Network (CISNET) models simulated US breast cancer mortality from 2000 to 2017 using national data on mammography use and performance, efficacy and dissemination of estrogen receptor (ER) and HER2-specific treatments of early-stage (stages I-III) and metastatic (stage IV or distant recurrence) disease, and competing mortality. Models compared overall and ER/HER2-specific breast cancer mortality rates from 2000 to 2017 relative to estimated rates with no screening or treatment, and attributed mortality reductions to screening, early-stage or metastatic treatment. Results of an exemplar model are shown. Results: The mortality reduction attributable to early-stage treatment increased from 35.8% in 2000 to 48.2% in 2017, while the proportion attributable to metastatic treatment decreased slightly from 23.9% to 20.6%. The increasing contribution of early-stage treatment reflects the transition of effective metastatic treatments to early-stage disease: accordingly, ten-year distant recurrence-free survival improved (82.5% in 2000, 87.3% in 2017; for ER+HER2+, 78.2% to 90.9%). Survival time after metastatic diagnosis also increased, doubling from 1.48 years in 2000 to 2.80 years in 2017, with the best survival for women with ER+HER2+ cancers (4.08 years) and worst for ER-HER2- (1.22 years). Conclusions: Advances in metastatic breast cancer treatment are reflected in lower population mortality, both through transition to early-stage treatment and gains for women with metastatic disease. These results may inform patient/physician discussions about breast cancer prognosis and expected benefits of treatment. [Table: see text]