The survival experience of 2,956 invasive breast carcinoma cases identified among the 5 major ethnic groups in Hawaii between 1960 and 1979 was studied. The study population consisted of 1,174 Caucasian, 972 Japanese, 458 Hawaiian, 226 Chinese, and 126 Filipino women. A multivariate analysis based on the proportional hazards regression model revealed that after simultaneous adjustment for stage of disease, age, and socioeconomic status (SES), Filipino and Hawaiian patients had significantly poorer survival than Japanese and Caucasian patients. Hawaiian women also had a significantly poorer survival than Chinese women. Survival was higher in patients between the ages of 45 and 54 years compared to those younger or older, in patients with localized tumors compared to those with more advanced tumors, and in patients with middle or high SES compared to those with the low SES. Histology and marital status were not associated with survival. The possibility that other factors such as obesity, estrogen receptor status, treatment, and nutritional and hormonal status could explain the remaining observed racial differences in breast cancer survival is discussed.