Open AccessClinicopathologic Characteristics and Prognosis of Breast Cancer Patients Associated with Pregnancy and Lactation: Analysis of Case‐Control Study in Japan
Author(s) -
Ishida Tsunehiro,
Yokoe Takao,
Kasumi Fujio,
Sakamoto Goi,
Makita Masujiro,
Tominaga Takeshi,
Simozuma Kohjiro,
Enomoto Kohji,
Fujiwara Kiyoshi,
Nanasawa Takeshi,
Fukutomi Takashi,
Hirota Teruyuki,
Fukuda Mamoru,
Miura Shigeto,
Koyama Hiroki,
Inaji Hideo,
Sonoo Hiroshi
Publication year - 1992
Publication title -
japanese journal of cancer research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 0910-5050
DOI - 10.1111/j.1349-7006.1992.tb02737.x
Subject(s) - breast cancer , medicine , lactation , pregnancy , mammary gland , cancer , metastasis , stage (stratigraphy) , oncology , breast disease , estrogen receptor , gynecology , lymph node , obstetrics , biology , paleontology , genetics
Clinicopathologic characteristics and prognosis of breast cancer patients associated with pregnancy and lactation were clarified by means of a case‐control study of matched non‐pregnant and non‐lactating patients with breast cancer. From 18 institutions in Japan, a total of 192 subjects with breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy (72 cases) and lactation (120 cases) were collected between 1970 and 1988, accounting for 0.76% of all breast cancer patients. The duration of symptoms was longer and tumor size was larger in the study subjects. Although the disease‐free interval was longer than that in the control patients, the survival time was shorter. There was no characteristic difference in histologic type. Vascular invasion and lymph node metastasis were found more frequently in the subjects. The positive rates of estrogen receptor and progesterone receptor were lower in the subjects. The 5‐ and 10‐year survival rates of the study patients were 65% and 55%, respectively, and these survivals were significantly lower than those of the control ( P < 0.001). The survival rates were poorer in the subjects, in accordance with stage and lymph node metastasis. The results suggest that most of the patients with breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy and lactation are in a more advanced stage because of a delay in detection and diagnosis, and hence have unfavorable prognosis. Therefore, it is important to diagnose and treat early for improvement of prognosis in patients with breast cancer during pregnancy and lactation.