Table 1. Clinical characteristics of breast cancer patients according to BRCA2 mutation status (period of diagnosis 1935–2012).
| Characteristic | Non-carriers | BRCA2 mutation | P-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutation status analysed (n) | 555a | 279a | |
| Year of birth, mean (range) | 1935 (1873–1980) | 1935 (1874–1977) | 0.93 |
| Year of diagnosis, mean (range) | 1985 (1935–2012) | 1985 (1935–2012) | 0.86 |
| Age at diagnosis, mean (range) | 49.4 (26–82) | 49.5 (21–82) | 0.93 |
| Second inv. contralat. breast cancer | 6.7% | 18.6% | <0.001 |
| Morphology (n) | |||
| Ductal | 90.7% | 87.8% | 0.21 |
| Lobular | 9.3% | 12.2% | |
| Other and unknown (n) | 72 | 26 | |
| Size | |||
| Mean (mm) | 23.9 (1–110) | 27.3 (1–110) | 0.01 |
| T1⩽20 mm | 55.4% | 47.1% | |
| T2>20 mm and⩽50 mm | 38.8% | 44.2% | 0.09 |
| T3>50 mm | 5.8% | 8.7% | |
| Unknown (n) | 89 | 48 | |
| Nodal involvement | |||
| No | 57.0% | 44.5% | 0.001 |
| Yes | 43.0% | 55.5% | |
| Unknown (n) | 55 | 16 | |
| Detailed information (n) | 425 | 220 | |
| 0 positive nodes | 66.8% | 53.2% | |
| 1–3 positive nodes | 23.1% | 24.1% | <0.001 |
| 4–9 positive nodes | 6.6% | 12.7% | |
| ⩾10 positive nodes | 3.5% | 10.0% | |
| Grade | |||
| 1–well differentiated | 26.2% | 12.0% | |
| 2–moderately differentiated | 46.8% | 52.1% | <0.001 |
| 3–poorly differentiated | 26.9% | 36.0% | |
| Unknown (n) | 42 | 12 | |
| ER status | |||
| Negative | 29.8% | 24.4% | |
| Positive | 70.2% | 75.6% | 0.11 |
| Unknown (n) | 52 | 17 |
Abbreviation: ER=oestrogen receptor.
a
Twenty-one patients who had metastatic disease at diagnosis were excluded, leaving 279 mutation carriers and 555 non-carriers for analyses.