Operable breast cancer patients under age 35 years: Features of disease of 65 cases Adjuvant Therapy N. Guler, I. Gullu, O. Altundag, B. Oyan, H. Engin, G. Tekuzman; Hacettepe University Institute of Oncology, Ankara, Turkey Background: Breast cancer rarely occurs in young women under 35 years old. In this age group, it is believed that tumor is more aggressive in biologic nature. Material and Method: The aim of this study was to evaluate retrospectively biological and demographic features and the survival of 65 premenapousal operable breast cancer patients younger than 35 years of age. The expression of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), presence of lymphatic invasion (VI), grading (G), pathological stage according to TNM staging system (pTNM), pathological tumor size and number of axillary lymph node involvement were evaluated. Results: The mean age of the patients was 32 years (range 21 -35). The tumor size was less than 5 cm in 49% of patients. Modified radical mastectomy was the most common type of surgery (77%). Most of the tumors were invasive ductal carcinoma (85%) and axillary lymph node involvement was positive in 55% of patients. According to TNM classification 10.2%, 70.2%, and 93% of patients were at stage I, II, III, respectively. Lymphatic invasion was positive in 23% of patients. Forty of 65 patients (62.5%) received antracycline-based chemotherapies. During the median follow-up time of 33.5 months (range 5-160), 11 patients relapsed and 3 patients died due to their disease. In univariate analyses, only the presence of lymphovascular invasion was found to be a significant predictor for DFS. The 10 year DFS and 10 year OS were 56% and 75%, respectively. Conclusions: We conclude that breast cancer patients younger than 35 years of age carry the same prognostic and survival characteristics, compared to older premenapousal and post menapousal. Age seems not to be a poor prognostic factor. ASCO Abstract #337, 2003 Remember we are NOT Doctors and have NO medical training. This site is like an Encylopedia - there are many pages, many links on many topics. Support our work with any size DONATION - see left side of any page - for how to donate. You can help raise awareness of CAM.