To analyze the clinical characteristics of breast cancer patients across different age groups and their impact on prognosis. A retrospective study was conducted from January 2022 to December 2023, including 105 breast cancer patients. These patients were stratified into three groups: young (<40 years), middle-aged (40-59 years), and elderly (≥60 years). The mean age at diagnosis was 52.74 years, with the highest incidence observed in the middle-aged group. Significant differences were found across age groups in histological grade, tumor size, molecular subtype, Ki67, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and carbohydrate antigen 15-3 (CA15-3) (all P<0.05). Disease-free survival (DFS) rates varied significantly across age groups, with differences in histological grade, tumor size, molecular subtype, Ki67, CEA, and CA15-3 levels (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that age (both young and elderly), pathological stage (stage III), and molecular subtype (triple-negative) are independent risk factors for adverse prognostic events in breast cancer patients (P<0.05). Additionally, there was an interaction between age and molecular subtype, with significantly increased prognostic risks for the triple-negative type in the young (HR=21.418, P<0.05), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 overexpression in the young (HR=11.216, P<0.05), and luminal B in the elderly (HR=8.190, P<0.05). The clinical characteristics and prognosis of breast cancer patients vary significantly by age group. Combining age with molecular subtype can optimize risk stratification and provide a valuable reference for individualized treatment and prognosis management.
Fan et al. (Wed,) studied this question.