Clinical and pathological characteristics of breast cancer in young uruguayan women

Abstract

Introduction: In Uruguay, breast cancer is the main cause of death for this condition. Approximately 5.4% of cases are diagnosed in women younger than 40 years old, in other words, in women in their reproductive age, when they may be part of the labor force.
Objective: To investigate the frequency, clinical and pathological characteristics and evolution of Uruguayan patients who are diagnosed with breast cancer before they are 40 years old, and their survival according to the biological sub-type.
Method: the data in connection with the clinical and pathological characteristics and the evolution of patients was collected for women younger than 40 years old who had been treated for breast cancer at the participating institutions between January 1, 20016 and December 31, 2012. Global survival and disease-free survival was calculated for all patients, globally and according to the biological sub-type.
Results: 107 students were included in the study; median age: 35 years old, range (24 to 39 years old); clinical and pathological characteristics: ductal carcinoma: 89.7%; Grade 2-3: 93.5%; stage II-III: 75% axillary metastasis: 57%; HER2- ER/PR 53%; HER”+ 24.5% and triple negative 22.5%. 17% of patients evidenced significant family history, and all of them were treated according to protocols in force. Global survival and disease free-survival after five years was 79% and 72% respectively. Global survival and disease free-survival was 97% and 90% respectively for patients RE/RP+/HER2-; of 54% and 49% for HER2+, and of 60% and 20% for triple negative. Disease-free survival curves were similar for patients triple negative and HER2+, whereas patients RE/RP+/HER2- evidenced a greater global survival and disease-free survival (Log Rank, p ? 0,0001).
Conclusions: Uruguayan patients diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 40 years old included in the study evidenced a lower global survival and disease free-survival rate than that reported for patients of the general population and older than 40 years old. In spite of the fact that the worse evolution has been associated to delays in diagnostic, most patients were diagnosed in the localized stage and all of them were treated according to protocols in force. Likewise, the proportion of the unfavorable sub-types (triple negative and HER2+) was greater than that reported for women of all ages with breast cancer. Thus, the worse evolution could be associated with the biological profile.