Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
![Digital Commons Network](http://assets.bepress.com/20200205/img/dcn/DCsunburst.png)
Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Articles 1 - 1 of 1
Full-Text Articles in Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment
Estimating The Impact Of Lost To Follow-Up On Breast Cancer Patients' Five-Year Disease-Free Survival, Megan Whitworth
Estimating The Impact Of Lost To Follow-Up On Breast Cancer Patients' Five-Year Disease-Free Survival, Megan Whitworth
Statistics
Abstract
Background Nationally, the 5-year survival rate for patients with breast cancer is relatively higher than patients diagnosed with other types of cancer. In addition to the higher survival rates, breast cancer patients also tend to have increased rates of lost to follow-up as compared to other cancers. When a patient becomes lost, the occurrence of distant metastasis cannot be reliably ascertained, unless the patient had a breast cancer-specific death. As a consequence of the missing information from lost patients, results from statistical analyses that contain lost patients may not adequately reflect the actual recurrence and disease-free survival rates. The …