Clinicopathological characteristics of young versus older patients with breast cancer

Abstract

To compare the clinicopathological, histological and immunohistochemical features of breast cancer (BC) in between young (≤40 years) and older (>40 years) patients.Methods: This retrospective study included histopathological reports of all patients with primary BC diagnose at the King Fahad Hospital, Madinah, Saudi Arabia between January 2006 and November 2020. Original ArticleResults: During the study period, a total of 708 patients with BC were identified; 173 cases (24.4%) were ≤40 years old and 535 (75.6%) were above 40 years. There were significant differences in tumor size (p=0.046), tumor grade (p<0.0001), tumor stage (p=0.047), lymphovascular invasion (p<0.0001), and distant metastasis (p<0.0001) between the 2 groups. Comparing the status of the hormone receptors and molecular subtypes between the 2 age groups, BCs in the younger patients were triple-negative (p=0.008) in majority of the cases and less likely to be estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) hormone receptors-positive (p=0.0001, p<0.0001). Young patients exhibited the HER2/neu type with more frequent statistical significance (p=0.016) and the tumor type luminal A (p=0.002) with less frequent statistical significance compared to old patients. Conclusion:Although BC in young women is uncommon, it may be different with regards to poor prognostic outcomes, which are attributed to more aggressive histopathological features and less favorable receptor status when compared to the cases diagnosed in older women.

Metastasis, characteristic, and treatment of breast cancer in young women and older women: A study from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registration database

“…BC patients had less favorable survival outcomes, especially for those with the HR+/HER2- subtype [ 16 ]. Another retrospective comparative study from the Madinah region of Saudi Arabia compared clinicopathological characteristics of young versus older patients with BC, and showed that tumor size, tumor grade, tumor stage, lymph vascular invasion, and distant metastasis were significantly different between them [ 17 ]. BCs in young patients were triple-negative in most cases and less likely to be ER and progesterone receptor hormone receptors-positive [ 17 ].…”

“…Another retrospective comparative study from the Madinah region of Saudi Arabia compared clinicopathological characteristics of young versus older patients with BC, and showed that tumor size, tumor grade, tumor stage, lymph vascular invasion, and distant metastasis were significantly different between them [ 17 ]. BCs in young patients were triple-negative in most cases and less likely to be ER and progesterone receptor hormone receptors-positive [ 17 ]. Compared with older patients, young women more likely exhibited the HER2/neu type and less likely exhibited the tumor type luminal A [ 17 ].…”

“…BCs in young patients were triple-negative in most cases and less likely to be ER and progesterone receptor hormone receptors-positive [ 17 ]. Compared with older patients, young women more likely exhibited the HER2/neu type and less likely exhibited the tumor type luminal A [ 17 ]. Wang et al [ 18 ] used propensity score adjustment method to compare the BCS with mastectomy in young and old women with early-stage BC, and they did not find any significant difference between BCS and mastectomy in local recurrence, distant disease-free survival, disease-free survival, and breast cancer-specific survival in the young age group, while in the old age group, women who underwent BCS exhibited improved distant disease-free survival.…”

“…BCs in young patients were triple-negative in most cases and less likely to be ER and progesterone receptor hormone receptors-positive [17]. Compared with older patients, young women more likely exhibited the HER2/neu type and less likely exhibited the tumor type luminal A [17]. Wang et al [18] used propensity score adjustment method to compare the BCS with mastectomy in young and old women with…”

Immunohistochemical Study of Female Breast Cancer in Varna, Bulgaria

“…The retrospective study of 708 BC patients diagnosed in Saudi Arabia shows a significant difference in tumour grade (p < 0.0001) between younger patients aged ≤ 40 years and older ones [6]. Most younger patients have TNBC (p = 0.008).…”