A comprehensive study sheds light on long-term survival disparities between two common breast cancer types in younger women.
A recently published cohort study examined the survival outcomes of premenopausal patients diagnosed with invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) and invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC). The study, which analyzed data from national databases, found that premenopausal women with ILC had worse breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) compared to those with IDC, particularly after the first 10 years following diagnosis.
Invasive lobular carcinoma accounts for 5% to 10% of invasive breast cancer cases, and it exhibits distinct characteristics compared to IDC. The study aimed to address the gap in knowledge regarding long-term survival outcomes in premenopausal patients with these two breast cancer subtypes.
The research utilized data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, the Korean Breast Cancer Registry (KBCR), and the Asan Medical Center Research (AMCR) database. It included patients diagnosed with stage I to III ILC or IDC between January 1, 1990, and December 31, 2015.
Key findings from the study include:
- Patients with ILC showed better BCSS within the first 10 years after diagnosis when compared to IDC.
- However, after the 10-year mark, BCSS was notably worse for ILC patients.
- These trends were consistent, even when considering hormone receptor-positive tumors.
The study highlights the need to consider histological subtypes when determining the type and duration of endocrine therapy in premenopausal women with breast cancer. Notably, the annual hazard rate analysis revealed differences in the timing of recurrence between ILC and IDC. IDC showed early recurrence in the first five years, followed by a gradual decline, while ILC exhibited slowly increasing recurrence rates over several years.
While further research is needed to explore the reasons behind these survival disparities, the study provides critical insights into tailoring treatment strategies for premenopausal women diagnosed with breast cancer. The findings emphasize the importance of personalized approaches based on histological subtypes, especially when selecting hormone therapy options and determining treatment duration.
This study contributes valuable information to the ongoing efforts to improve the management and treatment of breast cancer in premenopausal patients, ultimately striving for better long-term survival outcomes.