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Triple negative breast cancer in Korea-distinct biology with different impact of prognostic factors on survival

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Abstract

We analyzed breast cancer subtypes using Korean Breast Cancer Society Registration Program data to compare clinical features and prognosis for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). A cohort of 26,767 breast cancer patients were divided in four groups: luminal A (ER+ and/or PR+, HER2−), luminal B (ER+ and/or PR+ HER2+), HER2+ (ER−, PR−, HER2+), and triple-negative (ER−, PR−, HER2−). Clinicopathologic factors were evaluated. The luminal A (14,437 patients, 53.9%) subtype was the largest in our study. Compared with luminal A subtype, TNBC correlated with younger age, more aggressive characteristics and poor overall survival and breast cancer-specific survival. The hazard rate showed a peak at 24 months for the TNBC subtype, but after 60 months, risk was similar to that of the luminal A subtype. Higher T, N stage and histologic grade, and lymphatic and vascular invasion showed poor prognosis in TNBC patients, but on multivariate analysis only histologic grade and ki-67 status were related. Young age was related to poor prognosis in the luminal A subtype, however, age was not related to prognosis in the TNBC subtype. Of the 5,586 TNBC patients, 282 patients (7.11%) expired within 3 years of diagnosis. T and N stage and grade were significantly associated with prognosis on multivariate analysis. TNBC subtype is characterized by younger age with poorer outcome. However, younger age is not related to prognosis, and mortality risk decreases to that of the luminal A subtype, which is known to have the best prognosis after a few years.

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Acknowledgements

This study is supported by Korea Breast Cancer Foundation. The Korean Breast Cancer Society thanks the following members who participated in the National Registry Program: S. H. Ahn, J. W. Bae, Y. T. Bae, J. W. Baek, J. G. Bong, K. H. Cha, E. S. Chang, I. T. Chang, S. S. Chang, J. W. Cho, S. H. Cho, Y. U. Cho, J. W. Choi, K. J. Choi, M. S. Choi, S. I. Choi, S. Y. Choi, G. S. Goo, S. H. Han, W. Han, S. J. Hong, J. Y. Hwang, T. I. Hyun, Y. J. Jegal, M. G. Im, Y. G. Joh, S. Y. Jun, B. W. Jung, J. Jung, J. H. Jung, K. H. Jung, P. J. Jung, S. H. Jung, S. S. Jung, Y. H. Jung, Y. S. Jung, D. H. Kang, H. J. Kang, Y. I. Kang, Y. J. Kang, J. H. Keum, D. Y. Kim, H. J. Kim, J. G. Kim, J. H. Kim, J. S. Kim, J. S. Kim, K. C. Kim, S. C. Kim, S. H. Kim, S. I. Kim, S. J. Kim, S. W. Kim, S. W. Kim, S. Y. Kim, S. Y. Kim, Y. S. Kim, B. K. Ko, S. S. Ko, S. H. Koh, B. H. Koo, J. Y. Koo, B. S. Kwak, C. H. Lee, C. H. Lee, D. H. Lee, D. S. Lee, E. S. Lee, G. S. Lee, H. D. Lee, H. S. Lee, J. C. Lee, J. H. Lee, J. K. Lee, J. S. Lee, J. Y. Lee, K. M. Lee, K. P. Lee, K. S. Lee, K. Y. Lee, M. H. Lee, R. A. Lee, S. C. Lee, S. J. Lee, S. K. Lee, W. Lee, Y. H. Lee, J. W. Leu, C. H. Lim, C. W. Lim, B. I. Moon, Y. S. Nam, S. J. Nam, D. Y. Noh, W. C. Noh, S. J. Oh, S. S. Oh, W. K. Pae, I. W. Paik, N. S. Paik, B. G. Park, B. W. Park, C. H. Park, H. B. Park, H. Y. Park, J. H. Park, K. H. Park, S. J. Park, S. T. Park, S. W. Park, W. C. Park, Y. K. Park, Y. K. Park, H. S. Seo, K. H. Seo, Y. J. Seo, Y. S. Sin, B. H. Son, G. S. Son, B. J. Song, K. H. Song, Y. J. Song, Y. J. Suh, J. M. Won, D. H. Woo, D. H. Yang, J. H. Yang, K. Y. Yoo, S. Y. Yoo, H. S. Yoon, J. H. Yoon, and S. O. Yoon.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General Surgery, Anam Hospital, Korea University College of Medicine, 126-1, Anam-dong 5-ga, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, 136-705, Korea

    Jung Ah Lee, Kwan-Il Kim, Jeoung Won Bae & Eun Sook Lee

  2. Department of BioStatistics, Korea University, Seoul, Korea

    Young-Hoon Jung & Hyonggin An

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  1. Jung Ah Lee
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The Korean Breast Cancer Society

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Correspondence to Eun Sook Lee.

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Lee, J.A., Kim, KI., Bae, J.W. et al. Triple negative breast cancer in Korea-distinct biology with different impact of prognostic factors on survival. Breast Cancer Res Treat 123, 177–187 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-010-0998-5

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