Abstract P6-07-29: Independent prognostic value of age depends on breast cancer subtype

Abstract

Abstract Background: Whether age is an independent prognostic factor in early breast cancer remains controversial. Different cut-off values have been suggested in different studies and few studies assessed its value in triple negative breast cancer and other phenotypes. Methods: We included all primary operable breast cancer patients from our prospectively managed database in UZ Leuven, Belgium. We excluded male patients, patients treated elsewhere first, patients treated with primary systemic treatment first. We assessed the effect of age as a continuous and categorical variable for distant metastasis free interval (DMFI), locoregional free interval (LRRFI) and breast cancer specific survival (BCSS) in multivariable analysis (correcting for phenotype, tumor size, nodal status, chemo−, endocrine−, radiotherapy, type of breast and axillary surgery). We assessed the effect of age for DMFI, LRRFI and BCSS in basal-like breast cancer and other phenotypes. Results: We included 4318 patients with a mean/median age of 58/ 57 years (1170 patients were younger than 50 years) and with a median follow-up of 6,0 years. Multivariate analysis confirmed age as an independent prognostic variable for LLRFI (HR1.91; 95% CL:1.33–2.74; p = 0.0005), DMFI (HR:1.77; 95% CL:1.33–2.36; P < 0.0001) and BCSS (HR:2.35; 95% CL:1.66–2.74; P < 0.0001). The optimal cut-off value is 41years for LLRFI and BCSS and 44 years for DMFI. We did not find an independent prognostic value for age in triple negative breast cancer regarding DMFI and LRRFI. Results for other subtypes are subject to currently ongoing analyses. Conclusions: Overall, young age in primary operable breast cancer patients is an independent prognostic value for DMFI, LRRFI and BCSS after adjusting for known prognostic factors. In triple negative breast cancer, age did not retain independent prognostic value for DMFI and LRRFI. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-07-29.