Affiliations: New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, New York, NY, USA
Correspondence:
[*]
Corresponding author: Elizabeth Kagan Arleo, New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, 425 East 61st Street, 9th floor, New York, NY 10065, USA. Tel.: +1 212 821 0680; Fax: +1 212 821 0671; E-mail: ela9033@med.cornell.edu
Abstract: Due to an increasing number of breast cancer diagnoses in younger women
anecdotally noted at our institution, we conceived of this study %was
to
retrospectively review the records of women diagnosed with breast cancer
under the age of 40 for potentially alterable versus unalterable risk
factors in their history. Between 2007 and 2013, there were 52 patients less
than 40 years of age with breast cancer at our institution: 79% (41/52)
presented with a clinical abnormality (palpable mass, nipple discharge or
inversion) and 21% (11/52) were asymptomatic but diagnosed on early
screening mammograms. Seventy-five percent (39/52) of the cancers had an
invasive component and 87% (45/52) were intermediate to high grade. Sixty
percent (31/52) of subjects had stage 0 or I disease, but 40% (21/52) had
later stage disease (stage II or greater). The vast majority of the cancers
were ER+ (82%) and PR+ (78%). Fifty-six percent (28/50; 2 unknown) of
the subjects had a documented history of hormonal contraception. Fifty-three
percent (27/51; 1 unknown) of had no family history of breast cancer
whatsoever, and 80% (41/51) had no family history of breast cancer in a
first degree relative. Six were positive for BRCA 1, 2, or a variant
(6/52 = 12%).
Keywords: Breast cancer, young women, hormonal contraception, assisted reproduction
DOI: 10.3233/BD-150400
Journal: Breast Disease, vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 87-93, 2015
