J Korean Surg Soc.
2001 Apr;60(4):380-385.
Pregnancy-Associated Breast Cancer
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Surgery, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract
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PURPOSE: Women pregnant or lactating at the time of breast cancer diagnosis exhibit a significantly more advanced stage disease at the time of diagnosis than non-pregnant women. The goal of this study was to identify pregnancy-associated breast cancer, and to compare the clinicopathologic characteristics and disease-free survival rates with those of non-pregnancy associated breast cancer.
METHODS
The medical records of women pregnant or within 1 year postpartum at the time of breast cancer diagnosis and those of non-pregnant women with breast cancer between 1981 and 1999, were analyzed. Fourteen women with pregnancy-associated breast cancer (group I) were compared to 155 non-pregnant women with breast cancer (group II) of comparable ages, and to 1201 women with breast cancer age of 36 or older (group III).
RESULTS
No significant differences were found in regards to dominant histologic types, hormone receptor statuses or histologic grade among those three groups. The delay in diagnosis of group I averaged 5.2 months longer than that of group II (P<0.001). Group I was found to have larger (> or =5 cm) tumors, and a greater portion had advanced staged (stage> or =III) cancer than group II (P<0.025). Stage by stage, there was no significant statistical difference in disease-free survival rates between group I and group II. The younger patients (group I, group II) had lower disease-free survival rates than older patients (group III) (P<0.05).
CONCLUSION
No specific pathologic characteristics were found in pregnancy associated breast cancer. The delay in diagnosis and young age at diagnosis may be the primary reasons for the relatively advanced stages seen in breast cancer associated with pregnancy.
