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Age as prognostic factor in premenopausal breast carcinoma
A de la Rochefordiere1, B Asselain, F Campana
1Department of Radiotherapy, Institut Curie, Paris, France.
Lancet (London, England)
|April 24, 1993
Summary
Younger women diagnosed with breast cancer have a worse prognosis, experiencing lower survival and higher relapse rates. This age-related risk is independent of other factors and warrants further biological investigation.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Clinical Medicine
- Epidemiology
Background:
- The prognostic impact of young age at diagnosis for breast cancer remains debated.
- Previous studies often overlooked menopausal status and other confounding variables.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of age on breast cancer prognosis in premenopausal women.
- To determine if young age is an independent adverse prognostic factor.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of 1703 premenopausal patients with stage I-III breast cancer treated between 1981-1985.
- Median follow-up of 82 months.
- Multivariate analysis considering tumor size, node status, grade, hormone receptors, and treatment modalities.
Main Results:
- Younger patients (< or = 33 years) exhibited significantly lower survival and higher relapse rates.
- A continuous inverse relationship was observed: a 4% decrease in recurrence risk for each year increase in age.
- The adverse prognostic effect of young age was independent of clinical and pathological factors.
Conclusions:
- Young age at diagnosis is a significant adverse prognostic factor for breast cancer, independent of other known risk factors.
- The findings suggest a distinct natural history of breast cancer in younger women that requires further biological elucidation.