Table 2. Characteristics of eligible breast cancer patients aged 40 years or younger at diagnosis.

	Still living or died from other known causes (n=466)		Died of breast cancer (n=251)
Characteristics at breast cancer diagnosis	n	%	N	%	χ2 P
Age (years)
21–25	6	1.3	11	4.4
26–30	31	6.7	23	9.2
31–35	132	28.3	85	33.9
36–40	297	63.7	132	52.5	0.005
Stage
In Situ	68	14.6	3	1.2
Localised	255	54.7	85	33.9
Regional	139	29.8	141	56.2
Distant	4	0.9	22	8.7	<0.0001
Axillary lymph node involvement
Yes	139	29.8	156	62.1
No	323	69.3	88	35.1	<0.0001
Unknown	4	0.9	7	2.8