title: Young age and pathological features predict breast cancer outcome - report from a dual Institution experience in Serbia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of clinicopathological and biological characteristics on prognosis, disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS), of very young patients (≤35 years of age) with breast cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively collected information of 150 women diagnosed with breast cancer, aged ≤35 years, who were operated and treated at two University Hospitals in Serbia between January 2009 and February 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After a median follow up of 44 months patients ≤30 had shorter DFS and OS compared to patients aged 31-35 years (p=0.004 and p=0.037, respectively). The differences in DFS and OS were significant with decreased survival associated with higher tumor grade (p=0.005 and p=0.0001, respectively). Tumor size and number of positive nodes were predictors of outcome with decreased survival associated with higher tumor size (p=0.0019 for DFS and p<0.0001 for OS) and increasing number of nodes (p<0.0001 for both). HER 2 receptor did not seem to have a prognostic influence while patients with hormonal receptors (HRs) positive tumors had a better DFS (p=0.034) and OS (p=0.046) than those with HRs negative tumors. In univariate survival analysis, a significant difference in DFS (p=0.0003) and OS (p=0.0003) was found between patients with vs without lymphovascular invasion (LVI).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diagnosis of breast cancer at very young age (<30) was associated with increased risk of death and shorter DFS than women aged 31-35. Negative impact on survival was seen in patients with presence of LVI, negative HRs and higher grade and stage at the time of presentation.
authors: Department of Oncology, University Hospital of Nis, Nis, Serbia.
authors: Ana
authors: A
authors: Cvetanovic
authors: Lazar
authors: L
authors: Popovic
authors: Sladjana
authors: S
authors: Filipovic
authors: Jasna
authors: J
authors: Trifunovic
authors: Nikola
authors: N
authors: Zivkovic
authors: Gorana
authors: G
authors: Matovina-Brko
authors: Milos
authors: M
authors: Kostic
authors: Ferenc
authors: F
authors: Vicko
authors: Biljana
authors: B
authors: Kocic
authors: Ivana
authors: I
authors: Kolarov-Bjelobrk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology*; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009367:Neoplasm Staging