| Abstract: |
To the Editor: The articles on node-negative breast cancer (Feb. 23 issue)1 2 3 4 are very important. They provide further support for treating patients with this disease. However, I am troubled by some of their conclusions. Fisher et al.1,2 feel that all patients with node-negative cancer except those with tumors too small for estrogen-receptor analysis should be treated. This is not warranted by the data presented. First, the follow-up was only four years. Second, the benefit of treatment was seen only in disease-free survival and not in overall survival. This could mean that treatment only delays failure. Third, the treatment was not... © 1989, Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved. |
