Background and Aim: Breast cancer is an increasingly important social problem throughout the world. Rate of disease-free survival can be used to evaluate the effects of treatment and disease outcome and assess indices of disease prevention, diagnosis and treatment. With this aim in mind we made an assessment of 5-year disease-free survival in breast cancer patients.

Material and Methods: 403 breast cancer patients attending the radiotherapy-chemotherapy center at Rajaii Hospital, Babolsar were studied with regard to first-time recurrence over a period of 5 years. Data were gathered through questionnaires and statistical analysis included the Kaplan-Meier method and the Cox regression model.

Results: The median local/regional recurrence time was 15.9±5.2 months and the median systemic recurrence time was 22±14.8 months. The most common sites of recurrence were bones (46.6%), especially the lumbar vertebrae. The median disease-free survival time was 38.2±22 month. The total rate for 5-year disease-free survival was 45%. The rate ranged from 85% for stage 1 tumors to 5% for stage 4 disease. Age ≤35 years, disease stage, and lymph node involvement were found to be independent prognostic factors in time of the first recurrence of disease.

Conclusion: Comparison of our results with those from of European and  American countries showed lower rates of disease-free survival. This could be related to higher disease stage and younger age at diagnosis. These findings stress the importance of planning for earlier diagnosis and appropriate.