Long term risk of distant metastasis in women with non-metastatic breast cancer and survival after metastasis detection: a population-based linked health records study.

Objectives: To estimate the long term risk of distant metastases (DM) for women with initial diagnoses of non-metastatic breast cancer; to estimate breast cancer-specific and overall survival for women with DM.

Design: Population-based health record linkage study.

Setting, Participants: Women diagnosed with localised or regional primary breast cancer recorded in the NSW Cancer Registry, 2001-2002.