Clinicopathological Characteristics and Prognosis of Breast Cancer in Young Women – A Single Center Study in a Developing Country

OBJECTIVE: Breast cancer (BC) in young women tends to be more aggressive. This study highlights the clinicopathological features and outcomes of young breast cancer (YBC) patients in a developing country. METHODS: Consecutive patients aged 35 years or younger with a pathologically confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer treated and followed up at our department were included. Medical records and follow-up databases were reviewed and documented. RESULTS: The rate of breast conservation and reconstruction surgery is higher in YBC patients. YBC patients are more likely to have tumors over 5cm, high-grade, hormone receptor negative, triple negative and stage III than old patients. There was no statistically significant difference in the pathological type, lymph node metastasis, and HER2 status. The median follow-up time was 96 months. The disease-free survival (DFS) was significantly worse in the YBC group. However, the overall survival (OS) had no difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION: YBC patients had more aggressive pathological features, such as hormone receptor negative, triple negative, high-grade and advanced stage, and poorer DFS than the old counterparts.