Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common cancer and the second most common cancer of cancer death in Iranian women after gastric carcinoma although it is the second most common cancer in the western women after lung cancer. Its survival depends on multiple factors which are very important to identify in order to understand natural history of the disease in Iran.

Methods: In the present study 154 patients with T1-T2-T3-N0-N1-M0 breast cancer participated between March 1996 and March 1998 after surgery followed by adjuvant chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy and/or tamoxifen and were followed up for at least 5 years. Different factors might be effective on survival evaluation. Data was analyzed by SPSS using chi-square and Kaplan Mayer method for survival analysis.

Results: 5 year survival was 76.5% .It decreased by lymph node involvement (72.9% versus 88.9%, p=0.034) and increased in estrogen receptor positive tumors (84.3% versus 62.5,p=0.024). Left breast cancer patients survived more than right ones (87.5% versus 76.5%, p=0.004). Tumor size, type of pathology, age, type of surgery (breast conservative surgery or mastectomy) progestrone receptors, HER-2 proto- oncogene and type of chemotherapy had no effect on survival.

Conclusion: There is high survival by adjuvant therapy in Iran when breast cancers is detected at an early stage without lymph node involvement and receive appropriate therapy. The other factors should be studied more by future researches.

Hakim Research Journal 2006 20069(2): 39- 44.