[Clinicopathological features and prognosis of HER2-negative luminal-type breast cancer patients with early and late recurrence].

OBJECTIVE

To compare the clinicopathological features and prognosis of HER2-negative luminal-type breast cancer patients with early and late recurrence.

METHODS

We reviewed the records of recurrent breast cancer patients who previously underwent surgery at the Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between 2003 and 2009. A total of 390 cases were identified as eligible recurrent patients with HER2-negative luminal-type breast cancer. Among them, 279 cases had early recurrence (DFS<5 years) and 111 cases had late recurrence (DFS≥5 years). The clinicopathological features, sites of initial metastasis and survival after recurrence in the two groups were compared and analyzed.

RESULTS

Patients with vascular invasion or and ≥4 lymph node metastases were found more common in the early recurrence group (P<0.05), while positive status of both hormone receptors and non-standardized hormone therapy were more frequently seen in the late recurrence group (P<0.05). In the late recurrence group, initial lung metastasis was seen in 47.7% of patients, significantly higher than that (25.1%) in the early recurrence group (P<0.001). Although initial multiple organ metastases were more common in the late recurrence group (P<0.05), its median overall survival (OS) after recurrence was 66 months, significantly longer than that of the early recurrence group (39 months) (HR=1.6, P=0.003).

CONCLUSIONS

The two groups of HER2-negative luminal-type breast cancer patients with early and late recurrence show some differences in clinicopathological features and prognosis. Both vascular invasion and ≥4 lymph node metastases are important factors affecting the DFS in HER-2-negative luminal-type breast cancer patients, and early recurrence is more frequently seen in this group. Late recurrence is the more frequent recurrence pattern in the HER-2 negative luminal type breast cancer patients, especially, in the double hormone receptor-positive patients who received non-standardized hormone therapy. The prognosis for patients with late recurrence is better than that in the patients with early recurrence.