A. Ezzat et al., THE LACK OF AGE AS A SIGNIFICANT PROGNOSTIC FACTOR IN NONMETASTATIC BREAST-CANCER, European journal of surgical oncology, 24(1), 1998, pp. 23-27
Aims. To determine the prognostic significance of age at diagnosis in
women with non-metastatic breast cancer. Methods. A retrospective revi
ew of all newly diagnosed breast cancer in women between 1975 and 1991
was carried out at a tertiary Oncology Referral Centre. Patients were
divided into three age groups: <40 years, 40-50 years and >50 years.
Demographic and management/outcome details were collected from patient
s with UICC stages I-III. The effect of age on overall and relapse fre
e survival was analysed by standard statistical methods. Results. Of 1
289 new cases registered during the study period, 710 (55%) were UICC
stages I-III. Of the latter group 250 (35%) women were in the age grou
p of less than 40 years, 237 (33%) were between 40 and 50 years and 22
3 (32%) were older than 50 years. Women from the younger age group had
a higher proportion of breast-conserving surgery, and adjuvant chemo-
and radiation therapy, while the proportion of hormone therapy usage w
as higher in older women. There was no difference in overall survival
(P=0.64) and relapse-free survival (P=0.53) between the three age grou
ps. Conclusion. In this study, age was not a prognostic factor in pred
icting overall or relapse-free survival in women with breast cancer.