Relationships between Reproductive Risk Factors for Breast Cancer and Tumor Molecular Subtypes

BACKGROUND: Due to wide clinical differences in the various pathological types of breast cancer and also close associations between disease prognosis and molecular subtypes, relationships of the latter with traditional risk factors have been suggested. Hence, the present study aimed to assess any associations. METHODS: This bi-center cross-sectional study was performed on 800 consecutive women with known breast cancer referred to two Comprehensive Cancer Centers in Tehran between 2006 and 2016. Baseline information related to reproductive risk profiles as well as pathological tumor diagnosis and molecular subtypes determined using immunohistochemical analysis by immune-staining for ER, PR, and HER2 molecules were collected by reviewing hospital records. RESULTS: Of 800 samples included for immunohistochemical analysis, 314 (39.3%) were diagnosed as of Luminal A subtype, 107 (13.4%) as Luminal B subtype, 153 (19.1%) as HER-2 over-expressing, and 226 (28.3%) as triple negative. Among all reproductive risk factors initially assessed, young age was associated with HER-2 over-expression, greater tumor size and a history of abortion with the luminal B subtype, lower age at pregnancy with the luminal A subtype, and lower gravidity and a shorter duration of breastfeeding with the triple negative subtype. CONCLUSION: Each molecular subtype of breast cancer in our population may be associated with specific reproductive risk factors.