RESUMO
Objective: To determine frequency of triple negative breast cancer [TNBC] in Pakistani women with respect to age. Study Design: Observational study. Place and Duration of Study: Armed Forces Institute of Pathology [AFIP], Rawalpindi, from July 2005 to July 2010
Methodology: Pathological records of all specimens of breast cancer were reviewed and data was obtained for estrogen receptor [ER], progesterone receptor [PR] and HER-2 neu receptor proteins. Specimens having complete record of all three proteins were included for analysis. TNBC was defined as those who were ER, PR and HER-2 neu negative. Overall frequency as well as frequency with respect to age was calculated. Descriptive and categorical variables were analyzed using SPSS version 17
Results: Eight hundred and fifteen patients out of 4715 [17.28%] were found to be TNBC. Mean age of diagnosis of TNBC was found to be 46.26 +/- 12.22 years of age while other breast cancers had a mean age 52.90 +/- 9.78 years [p < 0.001]. In the TNBC group, 537 patients [65.88%] were aged < 50 years while 278 patients [34.11%] were aged > 50 years while majority of patients with other breast cancers were elderly females [p < 0.001]
Conclusion: TNBC comprised 17.28% of the breast cancers in Pakistani women diagnosed at the studied centre. A higher frequency of TNBC was noted in significantly younger patients