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Women aged 40 years and younger who are treated for breast cancer have similar recurrence and survival rates regardless of whether they opt for breast-conservation therapy (BCT) or mastectomy, according to two new studies. The results, presented at the 2011 Breast Cancer Symposium in San Francisco. In the first study, Julliette Buckley, MD, a breast surgery fellow at Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston, and colleagues reviewed medical records of 628 women aged 40 and younger who were diagnosed with up to stage III breast cancer between 1996 and 2008. They collected data on the women’s cancer stage, treatment, recurrence and overall survival (OS) during an average follow-up period of 72 months.

 

Analyzing the data according to the type of surgery the women received, researchers found no statistically significant difference in risk for local cancer recurrence. Of the 421 women who underwent BCT, 30 (7.1%) developed a local recurrence during the study period, whereas of the 161 women who had a mastectomy, 12 (7.5%) developed a local recurrence.The overall rates of local recurrence, including both groups, were 5.6% five years after diagnosis and 13% 10 years after diagnosis. Overall rates of distant recurrence were 12% five years after diagnosis and 19% 10 years after diagnosis. The average time to a recurrence was 35 months.

Of the women, 93% were alive five years after diagnosis and 87% were alive 10 years after diagnosis. Nearly 83% were alive with no evidence of breast cancer five years after diagnosis, and at 10 years after diagnosis that number was nearly 69%.

The study suggests that younger women diagnosed with breast cancer have a good prognosis with a low risk for recurrence, and that lumpectomy is a safe option for women, Dr. Buckley said.

“We believe that awareness of the genetic risks for breast cancer, advances in screening for breast cancer and improvements in systemic and radiation therapy have contributed to longer overall survival for young women with breast cancer,” she said.