Breast cancer in young women: Clinicopathologic correlation

It has been suggested that early-onset breast carcinomas may be different f rom those that occur in older women. The clinicopathologic characteristics of 191 young female patients (under 40 years of age) diagnosed with breast carcinoma (BC) were studied. Clinical history, staging, treatment and outco me were reviewed. Histology was assessed for tumor subtypes, invasive and i n situ components, nuclear and histologic grades and lymph node status. Adj acent nontumoral breast tissue was evaluated. Clinically, 11 patients were stage 0, 21 stage I, 94 stage II, 38 stage III, 6 stage IV, and in 21 no in formation was obtained. Sixty five percent of patients had positive lymph n odes at diagnosis; 102 patients (54%) relapsed at a median of 29 months aft er diagnosis. Histologically, 180 cases were infiltrating BC, 150 ductal (8 3%), 19 lobular (11%) and 11 of special types (6%); 11 cases were ductal ca rcinoma in situ, We found no cases of medullary carcinoma. High nuclear gra de and vascular invasions were frequent (68% and 67%, respectively) even in patients who remained disease-free at least 5 years after diagnosis (61% a nd 60%, respectively). Our study demonstrates that the histologic types of early-onset breast cancer are not different from other BC. However, BC in y oung women is often associated with histologic features of high-grade malig nancy even in patients with better survival. Our results suggest that BCs i n young women are different from those that occur in older women. This is a US government work. There are no restrictions on its use.