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Epidemiology of MBC

Better epidemiologic data are needed on the numbers of early stage breast cancer patients
who experience a recurrence and metastasis and on outcomes and length of survival after a
metastatic diagnosis. Only modest improvements in survival after a metastatic diagnosis have
been observed, and not in all populations.
• Over the past few decades, the duration of survival after metastatic diagnosis has
Data are not increased modestly—by a matter of months, not years. Hospital-based studies generally
collected on how report a larger survival benefit than population-based studies.
many people
experience a • The modest increase in survival has been observed mainly in ER+ (estrogen receptor
recurrence of positive/hormone sensitive) MBC and/or HER2+ (human epidermal growth factor
early stage breast
cancer as MBC, receptor 2–positive) MBC and is attributable to the wide use of targeted therapies.
or the number of No survival benefit has been found in triple-negative MBC.
people living with
the disease. • The disparity in survival between black women with MBC and non-Hispanic white
women with MBC appears to be increasing. It is unclear how much of the observed
disparity in outcome is related to access to care and socioeconomic concerns and how
much is related to the greater incidence of triple-negative MBC among black women.
• The prevalence and incidence of patients with MBC is unknown. Also unknown is
whether the number of recurrent MBC patients is increasing, decreasing, or staying the
Today, an same. Without this information, we cannot accurately and effectively demonstrate the
estimated 3.1 need for services or plan and fund the application of services.
million women
living in the US have • Disease trajectories, outcomes, and patient experiences for the different subtypes
a history of breast of MBC have not been well characterized.
cancer, but we have
no way of knowing • Many critical questions regarding the optimal treatment of MBC remain unresolved. It
how many of these is imperative that the use, effectiveness, and impact of MBC treatments on the overall
people are actually MBC population be understood.
living with MBC.
• Despite existing research, we have no accurate estimate of how long MBC patients
are likely to live. The factors underlying observed variability in median survival across
studies are unknown. Among the potential factors are differences in access to newer
drugs (especially targeted therapies) and multiple lines of treatment, access to careful
follow-up and expert palliative care to preserve optimal quality of life, and the presence
of co-morbidities.
• Despite research demonstrating poorer outcomes for disadvantaged, underinsured
populations overall, the true impact is unknown of socioeconomic factors on what
treatments and care are available for MBC patients and, in turn, how this may affect
duration of survival and quality of life.

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