Molecular biology in young women with breast cancer: From tumor gene Expression To DNA mutations

Abstract

Young women with breast cancer (YWBC) represent roughly 15% of breast cancer (BC) cases in Latin America and other developing regions. Breast tumors occurring at an early age are more aggressive and have an overall worse prognosis compared to breast tumors in postmenopausal women. The expression of relevant proliferation biomarkers such as endocrine receptors and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 appears to be unique in YWBC. Moreover, histopathological, molecular, genetic, and genomic studies have shown that YWBC exhibit a "higher frequency of aggressive subtypes, differential tumor gene expression, increased genetic susceptibility, and specific genomic signatures, compared to older women with BC. This article reviews the current knowledge on tumor biology and genomic signatures in YWBC.