Jayasekara H, et al. - In 1,196 women followed-up in the population-based Australian Breast Cancer Family Study, researchers investigated how long-term mortality after breast cancer diagnosis relied on age at diagnosis, tumor estrogen receptor (ER) status, and the time already survived. Using ER status a time-dependent covariate, a flexible parametric survival analysis was performed to determine the mortality hazard as a function of time since diagnosis. Initially higher 5-year mortality was reported for women with ER-negative tumors vs those with ER-positive tumors, similar if they survived to 5 years, and lower if they survived to 10 years. Overall, depending on the diagnosis age, ER status and time survived, substantial and qualitative differences were seen in the risk of death following a breast cancer diagnosis. On average, long life was seen in those with ER-negative disease, among women who survived >7 years. These subjects will live even longer if younger at diagnosis.