Breast carcinoma falls into a heterogeneous group of diseases which can be determined by various prognostic factors. The identification of clinical and histopathologic factors is of great value in predicting the progression of
tumor growth and survival outcome. Due to a high degree of cell proliferation in
breast tumors and high genetic instability of these
tumors, as a consequence of defective DNA repair mechanisms,
chemotherapy as a treatment option often renders very successful results. During our scientific study of the expression of genes responsible for mismatch repair of
DNA in cells of invasive
ductal carcinoma we also compared the patient survival rate with the major prognostic factors. This study included 108 patients who were surgically treated for invasive
breast cancer at the Department of
Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, University Hospital "Dubrava". The overall survival rate was compared to factors such as initial
tumor stage, regional lymph node involvement and distant
metastasis. The overall five year survival rate of our patients was 78.7%. Patients without the presence of distant
metastasis, a lower rate of local lymph node involvement and a lower.
tumor stage statistically had a longer overall survival period. It is important that physicians recognize the various clinico-pathohistological factors in patients with
breast carcinoma. This study confirms that this prognostic factors determine the type of treatment required and most important, the patient overall survival period.