Breast cancers : young age the significant predictor

Abstract EN

The incidence of breast cancer in young women (age <35) is low.

The biology of this disease in this age group is poorly understood, and there are conflicting data regarding the prognosis of these women compared to older patients.

We retrospectively analyzed 204 consecutive primary invasive breast cancer patients who underwent surgical procedures at our institution between 1990 and 2002.

The younger age group was defined as patients aged <35 years at the time of diagnosis.

The clinic pathological characteristics and treatment outcomes were compared between younger and older age groups.

A total of 51 (12.5%) patients were aged <35.

there was a significantly higher incidence of nuclear grade 3 and medullary histological-type tumors in younger patients compared to older patients.

Axillary lymph node status, T stage, histological grade, and estrogen receptor status did not differ significantly between the two age groups.

Younger patients had a greater probability of recurrence and death at all time periods.

Although there was no significant difference in disease-free survival between the two age groups in lymph node-positive patients, the younger group showed worse prognosis among lymph node-positive patients (p<0.001).

In multivariate analysis, younger age remained a significant predictor of recurrence (p = 0.010).

Young age (<35) is an independent risk factor for relapse in operable breast cancer patients.

ER = estrogen receptors PR = Progesterone receptors.