Factors associated with prognosis in human breast cancer. VII. A comparison between a Cuban and a Swedish study.

Prognosis in human breast cancer is important since therapeutic plans can be adjusted to individual probability of relapse. Comparative studies are not very frequent in literature. Prognostic factors are not assessed in the same way in different countries, thus contradictory results can be obtained. This paper summarizes the studies performed in two different populations of Swedish and Cuban patients. A group of prognostic factors was compared: age, tumor size, lymph node status, hormone receptors and DNA distribution. Some differences were obtained in these parameters and in short-term relapses. Lymph node status was more important in Swedish series, whereas ER content and DNA pattern were of more predictive value in the Cuban series. Biological interpretations of the results is suggested.