PROGNOSIS OF BREAST CANCER IN VERY YOUNG AGE (LESS THAN 30 YEARS)

Purpose: Breast cancer diagnosed at a younger age has aggressive biology being triple negative and high grade and is associated with poor prognosis. Materials and Methods: Retrospectively data of 121 patients age 30 years or younger registered during the year 2008 were reviewed. Data were extracted from the cancer registry department of the institute. Demographics studied were the age at diagnosis, gender, pregnancy or lactation association, family history of breast cancer, histopathological diagnosis, and stage of the disease, receptors, type of treatment, response, local recurrence, distant relapse, and survival. Results: A total of 121 patients with age 30 years or less were included. An only a single patient was male. The age range was from 20 to 30 years; bilateral involvement was seen in a single patient. Almost half 50.4% (n = 61) patients had locally advanced disease at presentation. Pregnancy/lactation-associated breast cancer was seen in 29.8% (n = 36). The most common stage was Stage III (52.1%) and Stage II (33.9%). Invasive ductal carcinoma was the most common histology 94.2% (n = 114) of patients; triple negative was the most common molecular subtype present in 46.3% (n = 56). Chemotherapy was received by 92.6% (n = 112), 88.4% (n = 107) patients received radiation therapy. Modi ed radical mastectomy was performed in 57% (n = 69), breast conservation surgery in 35.5% (n = 43), follow- up period was 5 years, local recurrence was observed in 12.4% (n = 15) and cancer related deaths were 42.1% (n = 51). Conclusions: Breast cancer in very young has very aggressive tumour biology, needs aggressive treatment with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and hormonal therapy. Key words: Breast cancer, pregnancy-associated aggressive tumour biology, triplenegative, young