In order to clarify the factors that mainly influence arm morbidity following treatment of breast cancer with the full axillary dissection protocol, we evaluated, in a model of multiple regression analysis, parameters such as the type of breast surgery, adjuvant radiotherapy, time of irradiation, age, number of dissected nodes and axillary nodal status. A total of 104 women were studied. Late arm edema was observed in 17% of the patients and was more frequent when (1) irradiation was given immediately after the operation than if it was given 6 months later (p = 0.009) and (2) the number of removed nodes exceeded 40 (p = 0.037). Upper limb pain was reported by 16% of the patients and was reported more frequently from patients over 60 years of age (p = 0.036), as well as from patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy (p = 0.044) and those in whom 30–40 nodes were dissected (p = 0.025). Shoulder joint mobility was impaired in 17% of the patients, and it was not affected by any of the examined factors. It seems that conservative breast surgery or adjuvant breast radiotherapy 6 months after the operation might reduce independently the likelihood of arm morbidity by 25%.

Background: Significant controversy exists in the literature regarding the role of pregnancy in the prognosis of breast cancer. We designed a matched case-case study, matching pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) cases with breast cancer cases for stage, age, and year of diagnosis. Patients and Methods: 39 consecutive cases of PABC were matched with 39 premenopausal cases of breast cancer. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses followed by adjustment for stage, grade, estrogen receptor status, and age at diagnosis, were performed. Results: Regarding overall survival (OS), univariate analysis pointed to longer OS in non-PABC cases vs. PABC cases. Accordingly, a more advanced stage predicted shorter survival. In the multivariate analysis, the independent aggravating effect mediated by pregnancy persisted. Interestingly, a post hoc nested analysis within PABC cases indicated that the 3rd trimester pointed to shorter OS. The aforementioned results on OS were also replicated during the examination of relapse-free survival. Conclusion: Implementing a matched case-case design, the present study points to pregnancy as a poor prognostic factor for breast cancer.

Breast cancer diagnosis in women aged 25 years and younger is uncommon; however, these patients present at a more advanced stage, with a higher grade, and exhibit poorer survival.

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