Clinicopathologic characteristics of Lebanese patients under and over the age of 40 presenting with breast cancer at a single institution.

Abstract

e12525 Background: The objective of this study was to determine the clinicopathologic characteristics of Lebanese patients with breast cancer below 40 compared to those above 40 presenting to our institution. Methods: Using a cross-sectional study design, data were collected prospectively on a sample of 110 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer. Comparison between the groups was performed using Person Chi-square and Fishers exact test. Results: 28 patients were ≤ 40 years and 82 patients >40 years. 75% and 76.5% of patients above and below 40 years respectively presented with stage I or II disease, more patients above 40 presented with stage I compared to those below 40 (32.4% vs 8% respectively). 50% of the younger age group presented with a grade 3 tumor; however, more than the half of the older group presented with grade 1 or 2. The older age group had a higher incidence of concurrent lobular and intraductal carcinoma (0 vs 6.4%). The younger age group was more likely to present with nodal involvement (57.1% vs. 48.45 for younger and older age groups respectively). Similar proportions of the two age groups stained positive for cyclin B1, p53, and VEGFR. All patients stained positive for PDGFR. Mean value of Ki-67 was 21.8% and 24%in younger and older age groups respectively. These differences were not statistically significant. Methylene Tetrahydrofolate Reductase (MTHFR) single nuccleotide polymorphism (SNP) T677T was detected in 21% of the older group compared to 5% of the younger population. Stratified to age Vitamin D receptor (VDR) SNP ApaI A/A was found in similar proportion in both groups (35% and 33.3% in younger and older group) while 30% and 41.3 % carried the vitamin D receptor (SNP) BSMI b/b in younger and older group respectively. Conclusions: No significant differences in the clinicopathologic characteristics examined between patients younger or older than 40 years were found in this sample. Analysis of a larger sample size including BRCA gene mutation analysis is planned to determine differences between age groups and possibly explain the higher incidence of breast cancer in the younger age group in our population.