Analysis of Clinico-Pathological Characteristics of Indian Breast Cancers Shows Conservation of Specific Features in the Hormone Receptor Sub-Types

Abstract

Background: Clinical epidemiology studies of breast cancer in India have reported younger age at detection, presentation at a later stage with a greater proportion of Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC). The aim of this study was to examine the standard clinic-pathological variables in the hormone-receptor based sub-types for patterns indicative of intrinsic differences from that reported in Western, Caucasian women.

Estrogen receptor, Progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 status in breast cancer: A retrospective study of 5436 women from a regional cancer center in South India

“…There are several studies from the Indian subcontinent regarding either HR positivity alone or HR+[ 4 8 9 18 ] and TNBCs[ 19 20 21 22 ] with only six studies delineating HER2-positive and HR-negative status as a separate category. [ 7 10 11 21 22 23 24 ] Of the latter, only one has a relatively comparable volume of 2001 cases,[ 7 ] with 16% of HER2-positive cases which is similar to the 15% found in the present study. It is worthy of note that the percentage of HER2-positive cases in the Indian subcontinent is similar to that described in the Western literature.…”

“…[ 9 ] Most Indian studies to date have shown median ages ranging from 48-53 years. [ 7 8 9 10 11 ] In our study as well, the median age was 48 years, reinforcing the fact that breast cancer in Indian women occurs at least a decade younger than those in the West. [ 12 ] Most western data show a median age around 60 years.…”

Profile of Carcinoma Breast Patients

“…In Indian females' breast cancer is more common in younger women which in western world. It occurs in older age group with median age of 60 years [12,[20][21][22].…”