title: Comparison of early onset breast cancer patients to older premenopausal breast cancer patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The objective of this study was to show differences between breast cancer patients < or =35 and >35 years with regard to tumor characteristics and to present the patient-relevant outcomes overall survival (OAS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS).
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed data from 119 women aged 35 years or younger with breast cancer and compared multiple parameters against breast cancer patients between 36 and 55 (n = 1,097), all pre-menopausal. Data were adjusted for tumor characteristics and therapy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistically significant difference in tumor size, axillary lymph node involvement, and histological subtypes. On the contrary, grading lymphovascular invasion and receptor negativity showed statistically significant differences. Unadjusted hazard ratio are 2.11 (1.32-3.39) (OAS) and 1.92 (1.35-2.73) (RFS). Multi-adjusted hazard ratio are 2.97 (1.70-5.18) (OAS) and 2.11 (1.42-3.13) (RFS).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, young breast cancer patients still have a poor prognosis. Even after adjustment of the data, OAS and RFS showed a worse prognosis. Normal prognostic factors like tumor size, axillary lymph node involvement, and grading can therefore be not the explanation for the more aggressive disease progress within early onset breast cancer patients.
authors.affiliation: Universitätsfrauenklinik Ulm, Prittwitzstrasse 43, 89075, Ulm, Germany. dominic.varga@me.com
authors.forename: Dominic
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Varga
authors.forename: Jochem
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koenig
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuhr
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Strunz
authors.forename: Verena
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Geyer
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kurzeder
authors.forename: Ziad
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Atassi
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Blettner
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kreienberg
authors.forename: Achim
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Woeckel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000453:epidemiology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D017697:Premenopause; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016019:Survival Analysis; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome