Clinicopathological and Hormone-Receptor Patterns in a Young Breast-Disease Cohort: A Retrospective Analysis of 399 Patients’ Records from 2023–2025 in Tripoli, Libya
TL;DR
This unusually young cohort showed a high burden of grade II–III and locally advanced disease in Libya, but age was not significantly associated with grade, ER, PR, HER2, or disease extent, which limits generalizability.
Abstract
Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most globally diagnosed malignancy among women. However, information on clinicopathological patterns in Libyan and North African women remains limited. This study examined age-related differences in histological diagnosis, disease extent, tumor grade, and hormone-receptor status in hospitalized BC women. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 399 patients from 2023–2025. All participants were aged 13–39 years. Age was summarized continuously and categorized as ≤29, 30–34, and 35–39 years. Diagnoses were harmonized into major histological groups. Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and HER2 results were normalized as positive, negative, or unknown. Disease extent was operationally classified from TNM fields as early (T1–T2/N0–N1/M0), locally advanced (T3–T4 or N2–N3/M0), metastatic (M1), or unclassified. Associations were evaluated using Pearson’s chi-square tests, with two-sided P<0.05 considered statistically significant. Results :showed that the Mean age was 32.9±4.5 years, and the median age was 34 years (IQR 30–37). Invasive ductal carcinoma accounted for 342 records (85.7%), although benign and non-epithelial diagnoses were also present. Grade II and III tumours represented 51.1% and 40.6%, respectively. ER, PR, and HER2 positivity were counted in 44.1%, 37.6%, and 41.6% of cases, respectively. Basal-like, luminal A, luminal B, and HER2-enriched subtypes were recorded for 32.6%, 24.6%, 21.8%, and 20.3%, respectively. Locally advanced disease predominated (61.4%), while 17.0% were metastatic. Histological composition differed across age categories (P<0.001), but age was not significantly associated with grade, ER, PR, HER2, or disease extent. Conclusion: This unusually young cohort showed a high burden of grade II–III and locally advanced disease in Libya. However, diagnostic heterogeneity limits generalizability. Registry standardization, pathology verification, and population-based studies are required.