Pregnancy-Associated Breast Cancer Compared to
Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Less Than 40 Year-Old of Age

Yang, Ban Seok; Park, Seho; Lee, So Hee; Park, Hyung Seok; Hwang, Hyewon; Lee, Jun Sang; Ko, Si Mon; Kim, Seung Il; Park, Byeong-Woo

doi:2011.7.2.28

Korean Journal of Clinical Oncology > Article

Original Article

Korean Journal of Clinical Oncology 2011;7(2): 28-36.

임신성 유방암과 40세 미만의 유방암과 비교

양반석¹, 박세호¹, 이소희¹, 박형석¹, 황혜원¹, 이준상¹, 고시몬¹, 김승일¹, 박병우^{1, 2}

¹연세대학교 의과대학 외과학교실
²연세대학교 의과대학 Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science

Pregnancy-Associated Breast Cancer Compared to Invasive Ductal Carcinoma Less Than 40 Year-Old of Age

Ban Seok Yang¹, Seho Park¹, So Hee Lee¹, Hyung Seok Park¹, Hyewon Hwang¹, Jun Sang Lee¹, Si Mon Ko¹, Seung Il Kim¹, Byeong-Woo Park^{1, 2}

¹Department of Surgery, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
²Brain Korea 21 Project for Medical Science, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea

Corresponding Author: Seho Park ,Tel: +82-2-2228-2100, Fax: +82-2-313-8289, Email: psh1025@yuhs.ac

Received: September 23, 2011; Accepted: October 20, 2011.

ABSTRACT

Purpose : The aims of this study were to investigate clinicopathological characteristics and outcomes of pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) and to determine the implications of pregnancy itself on the prognosis of PABC. Methods : Clinicopathological features, treatment patterns, and survival of 14 PABC patients were compared to those of 855 invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) patients under 40 years of age, who were treated between 1987 and 2007, using a chi-square test, the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox’s hazards models. PABC was defined as breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy or within the first year after delivery. Results : Among 14 PABCs, 7 were diagnosed during pregnancy and 7, during the first postpartum year. The mean duration of the symptoms was 7.6 months. The mean age at diagnosis of PABC and IDC under 40 years was 32.6 and 34.6 years, respectively (p=0.044). All PABCs were ductal type. Hormone receptors, treatment modalities, and tumor and node stage were not statistically different between PABC and IDC under 40 years. Five-year diseasefree, locoregional relapse-free, distant relapse-free, and overall survival of PABC was 57.1%, 71.3%, 56.4%, and 70.0%, respectively. Survival was not significantly different between two groups. In Cox°Øs models, PABC was not associated with survival outcomes. Among PABCs, there was no statistical difference in survival between patients diagnosed before and after delivery. Conclusion : Pregnancy itself does not increase the risk of poorer outcomes among young breast cancer patients. Vigilant diagnosis and multidisciplinary treatment should be recommended to best manage woman with PABC and her baby.

Keywords: Breast neoplasms | Pregnancy | Prognosis | Survival