Overview

• The study examined more than one million non-metastatic, non-inflammatory breast cancer surgeries recorded in the National Cancer Database from 2010 to 2020.
• It is the first investigation to derive in vivo tumor growth rates by comparing preoperative imaging sizes with pathologic measurements obtained at surgery.
• Findings published in the Annals of Surgical Oncology indicate that even delays of several months lead to only single-digit increases in staging advancement and mortality risk.
• Analysis shows most apparent upstaging results from underestimation by clinical imaging rather than genuine tumor progression during treatment delays.
• The data provide subtype-specific growth information that patients and clinicians can use to make informed decisions on surgical timing.