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A long-term follow-up study was performed of 704 women who were treated for breast cancer during 1947-50 at Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge, England. After 21 years the observed survival curve for the treated patients and the expected survival curve for the normal population became parallel, suggesting a "cure rate" of about 18% for all cases of breast cancer and about 30% for cancers in stages I and II combined. At least 6 patients died of breast cancer after 20 years. Eighty-one patients survived for 20 or more years, and at least 21 of these originally had metastases in axillary lymph nodes. It would be very worthwhile if this "curable" group could be identified at the time of diagnosis so that they would be spared systemic adjuvant treatments.

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