Association between age at initial diagnosis and post-metastasis mortality among women with recurrent metastatic breast cancer in China

BACKGROUND: Little is known about whether age at initial diagnosis influences the prognosis of recurrent metastatic breast cancer (rMBC). Here, we analyzed the association between age at initial diagnosis and rMBC mortality in China. METHODS: A total of 1636 women diagnosed with rMBC between 1989 and 2020 at West China Hospital, Sichuan University were included in this study. The age at initial diagnosis was categorized as young (≤ 40 years), middle-aged (41–64 years) and elderly (≥ 65 years). Post-metastasis mortality was the primary outcome and its associated factors were analyzed by Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 5.2 years after initial diagnosis of breast cancer, 620 deaths were identified. Compared with middle-aged patients, elderly patients had a 70% increased risk of post-metastasis mortality (95%CI, 1.24–2.33) after adjusting for demographics, tumor characteristics and treatment modes. Similarly, elderly patients were associated with a 75% increased risk of post-metastasis mortality (95%CI, 1.19–2.59) compared with young patients. Subgroup analyses also showed similar trends. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that in breast cancer, elderly patients at initial diagnosis face a higher risk of post-metastasis mortality. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09454-y.