Imaging and Clinicopathologic Characteristics of Breast Cancers in Younger Group Compared to in Old Group

Abstract

Purpose: We wanted to evaluate the difference of the images and the clinicopathological characteristics of young-age female breast cancer patients as compared to older Korean women with breast cancer. Methods: A total of 351 breast cancers cases during the previous 3 years were evaluated. A cut-off level of 40 years was used to divide the patients into the young (<= 40 years, 86 cases, 24.5%) and older groups (>40 years, 265 cases, 75.5%). We reviewed the BI-RADS results, the sensitivity of mammography (MMG) and sonography (US), the presenting symptoms, the histopathological type, the post-operative stage and the receptor status. These factors were compared between the young age group and the older age group. Chi-squared tests were used for statistical analysis. Results: BI-RADS category 1 disease on the MMG (12.8% vs 6.4%, respectively) and BI-RADS category 3 disease on the US (3.5% vs 1.1%) were more common for the younger group as compared to the older group. The sensitivity of MMG and US was lower for the younger group than for the older group (69.2% and 82.3% vs 84.5% and 93.3%, respectively). Clinical symptom, histopathology, final stage, and the size of tumor or receptor status did not show statistical significant differences. Conclusion: Imaging young women breast cancers were less sensitive, more frequently assessed as normal on MMG and as more probably benign on US, and no clinicopathological differences were shown.