Incidence and Histopathological Spectrum of Breast Malignancies in Women Aged Below and Above 40 Years: A Tertiary Care Hospital–Based Study

Abstract Introduction: Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women comprising 22 % and 30 % of all female cancers in the world and in India respectively. Approximately 7 % of women diagnosed with breast cancer are below the age of 40 years. Aim: To find the incidence of various breast malignancies in women less than 40 yrs as well as more than 40 yrs of age and to categorise these lesions histologically based on specific types, grade, stage and presence/absence of intraductal/intralobular component. Materials and methods: Retrospective study of 240 histologically diagnosed cases of malignant breast tumours in the Dept of Pathology, Civil Hospital (BJ Medical College), Ahmedabad from Jan 2010 to Dec 2012. Formalin fixative was used and the slides were stained with Hematoxylin and eosin. Results: Out of the total 240 cases of malignant breast lesions, 170 cases occurred in women above 40 yrs whereas 70 cases occurred in women less than 40 yrs of age. Invasive ductal carcinoma- Not otherwise specified (NOS) was the commonest malignancy with a total of 218 cases (90%); 63 cases(26.3%) occurring in women under 40 yrs. 32 cases showing in situ component were present. Most of the tumours were of BR grade – III and TNM Stage IIIA. Conclusion: In the present study, Carcinoma of breast in young patients is typically Invasive ductal carcinoma (NOS) but with higher tumour grade. Breast cancers in young women have more aggressive features, tend to be diagnosed at a later age and have inferior outcomes3. Prognostic factors like grade and tumour stage play a crucial role in determining patient’s survival. Keywords: Breast cancer, Invasive ductal carcinoma, BR grade, TNM stage.