[Infiltrating breast cancer in women younger than 25 years: 13 cases].
OBJECTIVE
To study the prognosis of breast cancer in woman younger than 25 years and to compare it with that of other age groups to identify prognostic and histologic factors specific to this group.


METHODS
Retrospective study of all cases of infiltrating ductal carcinoma treated at our hospital from January 1977 through July 2005, examining clinical, histologic, and treatment variables as well as 5-year overall survival and 5-years disease-free survival rates.


RESULTS
The study included 13 women younger than 25 years at diagnosis. Their average age at diagnosis was 23.3 years (CI=1 year). Time from initial signs of disease until diagnosis averaged 6.6 months (CI=2.5). Clinically, the average tumor size was 28.78 mm (CI=6.06), with 46% classified as T1, 31% as T2 and 23% as T4d. We found 92.3% to be invasive ductal carcinoma, with 30% including an in-situ component; 53.8% were SBR grade 3 and 23% included axillary node invasion. Hormone receptors were present in 61.5% of tumors. During the follow-up period, we observed two deaths (with a 5-year overall survival rate, however, of 91%) and 6 recurrences (5-year disease-free survival: 66.5%).


CONCLUSIONS
Prognosis appears unfavorable among young women (younger than 40 years) with breast cancer. In our series, neither prognosis nor clinical or histologic characteristics differed in the subgroup of very young women (younger than 26 years).
Paillocher
Nicolas
N
Service de gynécologie-obstétrique, CHU, Angers (49). Electronic address: paillocher.nicolas@neuf.fr.
Lacourtoisie
Sophie Abadie
SA
Service d'oncologie médicale, centre Paul Papin, Angers (49).
Fondrinier
Éric
É
Service d'oncologie chirurgicale, centre Paul Papin, Angers (49).
Catala
Laurent
L
Service de gynécologie-obstétrique, CHU, Angers (49).
Morand
Clothilde
C
Service d'oncologie médicale, centre Paul Papin, Angers (49).
Boursier
Jérôme
J
Service de gastro-entérologie, CHU, Angers (49).
Guerin
Olivier
O
Service d'épidémiologie, centre Paul Papin, Angers (49).
Descamps
Philippe
P
Service de gynécologie-obstétrique, CHU, Angers (49).
D000328:Adult; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D044584:Carcinoma, Ductal / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis