Unveiling the Clinicopathological Outcomes of Breast Cancer in Young Women: A perspective from resource-limited settings.

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to assess the incidence of breast cancer in young women over a ten-year period and examine its association with clinical characteristics, risk factors, treatment modalities, and survival outcomes.

METHODS

A retrospective analysis of the Breast Cancer Registry at our institution was conducted. Of the 2,238 women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2012 and 2021, 535 (23.9%) were aged 40 years or younger at the time of diagnosis. Cases with missing data for independent variables were excluded from the respective analyses.

RESULTS

The mean age at diagnosis was 34.5 years (range: 15-40). The most common clinical stage at presentation was IIB (25.2%), followed by IIA (24.4%), while 7.6% of patients presented with metastatic disease. Invasive ductal carcinoma was the predominant histological type (88.8%), and 57.4% of tumours were high grade. Triple-negative breast cancer accounted for 27.0% of cases, and 18.4% were ERBB2-enriched. Bilateral disease was observed in 2.5% of cases, and 7.5% were diagnosed during pregnancy. A family history of breast cancer was reported in 23.6%. Genetic testing was performed in 10.9% of patients, with BRCA1 mutations being the most frequently identified (12.1%). Modified radical mastectomy was performed in 38.2% of patients, and 8.2% underwent reconstructive surgery. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was administered in 49.9% of cases, and 68.2% received adjuvant radiotherapy. The five-year overall survival rate was 93.9%, with 12 patients (2.4%) experiencing distant and one (0.2%) experiencing local recurrence within five years.

CONCLUSION

Young women with breast cancer in resource-limited settings demonstrate distinct sociodemographic and clinicopathological characteristics, underscoring the importance of early detection strategies and personalised treatment approaches.