Tumor hormone receptor status and recurrences in premenopausal patients with node-negative breast carcinoma

To ascertain the prognostic significance of tumor hormone receptor status in premenopausal patients with node-negative breast cancer, a retrospective review of 199 patients who met these criteria was conducted. Of these 199 patients, estrogen receptor (ER) data were available for 147. One hundred four patients (71%) had ER-negative disease and 22 (21%) exhibited local or distant recurrence with a median follow-up time of 85.4 months. Thirteen patients in this group had died of breast cancer. Of the 43 patients who had ER-positive disease, 5 (12%) had recurrences and 2 died of breast cancer. After observing patients for a longer period of time (median follow-up time, 85.4 months), no statistically significant differences in disease-free survival (DFS) or overall survival (OS) were demonstrated. However, as seen in our first analysis of this group at 45 months, tumor size after a median follow-up time of 85.4 months continues to have significant prognostic implications, regardless of ER status.