Molecular Profile and Clinico-pathological Characteristics of Breast Cancer in Central India: First Investigative...

Stage at presentation and molecular profile are the two most important factors affecting breast cancer prognosis. This is the first study on molecular breast cancer subtypes from Central India. We prospectively reviewed 260 consecutive breast cancer patients diagnosed at the Department of Surgery, Government NSCB Medical College, Jabalpur (MP), between January 2017 and December 2020. Clinico-pathological and molecular profiles and their associations with the characteristics of the tumor were analyzed. The median age at diagnosis was 44.7 years (range 21-93). Eleven percent (n = 11) were in clinical stage I, 12.7% (n = 12) were in stage II, 56% (n = 146) in stage III, and 20% (n = 52) were in stage IV. Metastatic lymph node positivity rate was 85% at the time of diagnosis. Luminal subtype was present in 50% (n = 131), Her 2 neu-enriched type in 21.5% (n = 55), and triple-negative subtype in 28.5% (n = 74). A stronger association was observed for each increasing clinical stage for Her 2 neu-enriched and triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) but not luminal-type tumors. For grade of tumors, patients with luminal subtype had a higher percentage of lower grades (p = .001); however, Her 2-enriched and TNBC had higher proportion of grade III tumors (for Her 2-enriched p = .04, TNBC p = .001). In Central India, like other regions of India, breast cancer occurs at an earlier age and is diagnosed at a more advanced stage. In this region, pre-menopausal breast cancer is more common than post-menopausal and TNBC tumors have similar incidence in pre-menopausal and postmenopausal women.