MOLECULAR SUBTYPES OF BREAST CARCINOMA AND ITS ASSOCIATED RISK FACTORS AT TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL, PESHAWAR, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA

Abstract

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide and is characterized by molecular and clinical heterogeneity. In gene expression profiling studies, breast cancer is classified into five subtypes: luminal A, luminal B, HER-2 over expression, basal-like, and normal breast-like. Although clinical differences between subtypes are well described in the literature, etiological heterogeneity is poorly investigated.
Objective: To determine the molecular subtypes of breast carcinoma and its associated factors in tertiary care hospital Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Material and Methods: The study was executed in cross sectional design, which included 221 diagnosed breast cancer patients. Variables: family history, age at first full term pregnancy, number of children, duration of lactation, menstrual history, menopausal status, blood type, smoking, obesity, use of oral contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy and in vitro fertilization were investigated Results: Reproductive and hormonal characteristics (breastfeeding, pregnancy, age at first birth, hormone replacement therapy) were associated with luminal subtype compared with non luminal breast cancer with p values les that 0.05 which are statistically significant. Obesity and overweight increased the risk of triple her negative her subtype, especially in premenopausal women. Older age and use of hormone replacement therapy were associated with the risk of HER-2-overexpressing breast cancer. Conclusion: Our data demonstrate significant heterogeneity associated with conventional breast cancer risk factors and tumor subtypes.