Unveiling the Clinicopathological Outcomes of Breast Cancer in Young Women: A perspective from resource-limited settings

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the incidence of breast cancer in young women over a ten-year period and examine its association with clinical characteristics, risk factors, treatment modalities, and survival outcomes. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the Breast Cancer Registry at our institution was conducted. Of the 2,238 women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2012 and 2021, 535 (23.9%) were aged 40 years or younger at the time of diagnosis. Cases with missing data for independent variables were excluded from the respective analyses. Results: The mean age at diagnosis was 34.5 years (range: 15–40). The most common clinical stage at presentation was IIB (25.2%), followed by IIA (24.4%), while 7.6% of patients presented with metastatic disease. Invasive ductal carcinoma was the predominant histological type (88.8%), and 57.4% of tumours were high grade. Triple-negative breast cancer accounted for 27.0% of cases, and 18.4% were ERBB2-enriched. Bilateral disease was observed in 2.5% of cases, and 7.5% were diagnosed during pregnancy. A family history of breast cancer was reported in 23.6%. Genetic testing was performed in 10.9% of patients, with BRCA1 mutations being the most frequently identified (12.1%). Modified radical mastectomy was performed in 38.2% of patients, and 8.2% underwent reconstructive surgery. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was administered in 49.9% of cases, and 68.2% received adjuvant radiotherapy. The five-year overall survival rate was 93.9%, with 12 patients (2.4%) experiencing distant and one (0.2%) experiencing local recurrence within five years. Conclusion: Young women with breast cancer in resource-limited settings demonstrate distinct sociodemographic and clinicopathological characteristics, underscoring the importance of early detection strategies and personalised treatment approaches.