Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Personal or first-degree family breast cancer history: which has higher impact on tumor detection and tumor size in breast cancer

  • Gynecologic Oncology
  • Published:
Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

A woman’s risk of developing breast cancer (BC) is increased if she has a personal history (PH) or family history (FH) of the disease. We compared the impact of the two risk factors PH and FH on tumor detection and tumor size at diagnosis in a cohort of BC patients.

Methods

The study cohort comprised 1,037 invasive BC patients (≤70 years at diagnosis). From these, 92 patients (8.5 %) had a positive PH and 151 patients (13.7 %) had a positive first-degree FH.

Results

Compared to the tumors of patients without PH or FH, the lesions of patients who had a positive PH or a positive FH were more often found by radiologic breast examinations (RBE) (PH: 49.4 %, FH: 43.4 %, no PH/FH: 26.2 %; both comparisons p < 0.001). In patients with a positive FH, the tumors were slightly less often found by RBE as in patients with a positive PH (p = 0.468). Patients with a positive PH or FH had smaller tumors compared with those without such a history (PH: 19.7 mm, FH: 19.6 mm, no PH/FH: 26.7 mm; p = 0.015/p < 0.001). The tumor sizes of patients with a positive PH were almost identical to those of patients with a positive FH (p = 0.999).

Conclusions

In women with a positive FH or PH of BC, the increased awareness of BC risk led to the detection of smaller tumors compared to women who have not had this experience. However, comparison of the two risk factors showed that they had a similar impact on the RBE detection rate of BC lesions and that the tumor sizes were nearly identical.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer (2001) Familial breast cancer: collaborative reanalysis of individual data from 52 epidemiological studies including 58,209 women with breast cancer and 101,986 women without the disease. Lancet 358(9291):1389–1399

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Colditz GA, Kaphingst KA, Hankinson SE, Rosner B (2012) Family history and risk of breast cancer: nurses’ health study. Breast Cancer Res Treat 133(3):1097–1104

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Kerlikowske K, Carney PA, Geller B, Mandelson MT, Taplin SH, Malvin K, Ernster V, Urban N, Cutter G, Rosenberg R et al (2000) Performance of screening mammography among women with and without a first-degree relative with breast cancer. Ann Int Med 133(11):855–863

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Darby S, McGale P, Correa C, Taylor C, Arriagada R, Clarke M, Cutter D, Davies C, Ewertz M, Godwin J et al (2011) Effect of radiotherapy after breast-conserving surgery on 10-year recurrence and 15-year breast cancer death: meta-analysis of individual patient data for 10,801 women in 17 randomised trials. Lancet 378(9804):1707–1716

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Fisher B, Anderson S, Bryant J, Margolese RG, Deutsch M, Fisher ER, Jeong JH, Wolmark N (2002) Twenty-year follow-up of a randomized trial comparing total mastectomy, lumpectomy, and lumpectomy plus irradiation for the treatment of invasive breast cancer. N Engl J Med 347(16):1233–1241

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Nichols HB, Berrington de Gonzalez A, Lacey JV Jr, Rosenberg PS, Anderson WF (2011) Declining incidence of contralateral breast cancer in the United States from 1975 to 2006. J Clin Oncol 29(12):1564–1569

    Article  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. van Laar C, van der Sangen MJ, Poortmans PM, Nieuwenhuijzen GA, Roukema JA, Roumen RM, Tjan-Heijnen VC, Voogd AC (2013) Local recurrence following breast-conserving treatment in women aged 40 years or younger: trends in risk and the impact on prognosis in a population-based cohort of 1143 patients. Eur J Cancer 49(15):3093–3101

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Wapnir IL, Anderson SJ, Mamounas EP, Geyer CE Jr, Jeong JH, Tan-Chiu E, Fisher B, Wolmark N (2006) Prognosis after ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence and locoregional recurrences in five National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project node-positive adjuvant breast cancer trials. J Clin Oncol 24(13):2028–2037

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Yang SH, Yang KH, Li YP, Zhang YC, He XD, Song AL, Tian JH, Jiang L, Bai ZG, He LF et al (2008) Breast conservation therapy for stage I or stage II breast cancer: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Ann Oncol 19(6):1039–1044

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Khatcheressian JL, Hurley P, Bantug E, Esserman LJ, Grunfeld E, Halberg F, Hantel A, Henry NL, Muss HB, Smith TJ et al (2013) Breast cancer follow-up and management after primary treatment: American Society of Clinical Oncology clinical practice guideline update. J Clin Oncol 31(7):961–965

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Aebi S, Davidson T, Gruber G, Cardoso F (2011) Primary breast cancer: ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and follow-up. Ann Oncol 22(Suppl 6)):vi12–vi24

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Couto E, Banks E, Reeves G, Pirie K, Beral V (2008) Family history and breast cancer tumour characteristics in screened women. Int J Cancer 123(12):2950–2954

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Montgomery DA, Krupa K, Cooke TG (2007) Follow-up in breast cancer: does routine clinical examination improve outcome? A systematic review of the literature. Br Journal Cancer 97(12):1632–1641

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Murabito JM, Evans JC, Larson MG, Kreger BE, Splansky GL, Freund KM, Moskowitz MA, Wilson PW (2001) Family breast cancer history and mammography: Framingham Offspring Study. Am J Epidemiol 154(10):916–923

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Schwab FD, Burki N, Huang DJ, Heinzelmann-Schwarz V, Schmid SM, Vetter M, Schotzau A, Guth U (2014) Impact of breast cancer family history on tumor detection and tumor size in women newly-diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Fam Cancer 13:99–107

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Taplin S, Anderman C, Grothaus L (1989) Breast cancer risk and participation in mammographic screening. Am J Public Health 79(11):1494–1498

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Tracy KA, Quillin JM, Wilson DB, Borzelleca J, Jones RM, McClish D, Bowen D, Bodurtha J (2008) The impact of family history of breast cancer and cancer death on women’s mammography practices and beliefs. Genet Med 10(8):621–625

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Lijovic M, Davis SR, Fradkin P, Bradbury J, La China M, Schwarz M, Wolfe R, Farrugia H, Bell RJ (2009) The relationship between knowledge of family history and cancer characteristics at diagnosis in women newly-diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. Fam Cancer 8(4):299–305

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Malone KE, Daling JR, Doody DR, O’Brien C, Resler A, Ostrander EA, Porter PL (2011) Family history of breast cancer in relation to tumor characteristics and mortality in a population-based study of young women with invasive breast cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 20(12):2560–2571

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Chen C, Orel SG, Harris EE, Hwang WT, Solin LJ (2003) Relation between the method of detection of initial breast carcinoma and the method of detection of subsequent ipsilateral local recurrence and contralateral breast carcinoma. Cancer 98(8):1596–1602

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Lu WL, Jansen L, Post WJ, Bonnema J, Van de Velde JC, De Bock GH (2009) Impact on survival of early detection of isolated breast recurrences after the primary treatment for breast cancer: a meta-analysis. Breast Cancer Res Treat 114(3):403–412

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Montgomery DA, Krupa K, Jack WJ, Kerr GR, Kunkler IH, Thomas J, Dixon JM (2007) Changing pattern of the detection of locoregional relapse in breast cancer: the Edinburgh experience. Br J Cancer 96(12):1802–1807

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Doubeni CA, Field TS, Ulcickas Yood M, Rolnick SJ, Quessenberry CP, Fouayzi H, Gurwitz JH, Wei F (2006) Patterns and predictors of mammography utilization among breast cancer survivors. Cancer 106(11):2482–2488

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Keating NL, Landrum MB, Guadagnoli E, Winer EP, Ayanian JZ (2006) Factors related to underuse of surveillance mammography among breast cancer survivors. J Clin Oncol 24(1):85–94

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Molino A, Giovannini M, Pedersini R, Frisinghelli M, Micciolo R, Mandara M, Pavarana M, Cetto GL (2004) Correlations between family history and cancer characteristics in 2256 breast cancer patients. Br J Cancer 91(1):96–98

    Article  PubMed Central  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that there are no financial or personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence the work reported or the conclusions, implications, or opinions stated.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Basel (UHB), Spitalstrasse 21, 4031, Basel, Switzerland

    Fabienne Dominique Schwab, Dorothy Jane Huang & Uwe Güth

  2. Department of Oncology, Cantonal Hospital St. Gallen, Rorschacher Strasse 95, 9007, St. Gallen, Switzerland

    Nerbil Kilic

  3. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Spital Grabs, Spitalstrasse 44, 9472, Grabs, Switzerland

    Seraina Margaretha Schmid

  4. Department of Oncology, UHB, Petersgraben 4, 4031, Basel, Switzerland

    Marcus Vetter

  5. Eudox Institute for Biomathematics, Malzgasse 9, 4052, Basel, Switzerland

    Andreas Schötzau

  6. Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Cantonal Hospital Winterthur, Brauerstrasse 15, 8401, Winterthur, Switzerland

    Uwe Güth

  7. Breast Center “SenoSuisse”, Brauerstrasse 15, 8401, Winterthur, Switzerland

    Uwe Güth

Authors
  1. Fabienne Dominique Schwab
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nerbil Kilic
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Dorothy Jane Huang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Seraina Margaretha Schmid
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Marcus Vetter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Andreas Schötzau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Uwe Güth
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Uwe Güth.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Schwab, F.D., Kilic, N., Huang, D.J. et al. Personal or first-degree family breast cancer history: which has higher impact on tumor detection and tumor size in breast cancer. Arch Gynecol Obstet 291, 1387–1394 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-014-3592-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00404-014-3592-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation