Collins, Laura C.

Abstract Background Whether outcomes of germline BRCA1/2 (gBRCA1/2)-associated breast cancer differ compared with sporadic tumors is controversial. We explored the impact of gBRCA1/2 pathogenic variant (PV) status beyond established prognostic features. Methods We conducted 2 retrospective, matched cohort studies comparing gBRCA1/2 PV carriers and noncarriers with HER2-negative, stage I-III breast cancer (Clinical Outcomes Quality Database [COQD] cohort: 185 carriers, 555 noncarriers; Young Women’s Breast Cancer Study [YWS] cohort: 113 carriers, 226 noncarriers). Matching factors were age, stage, hormone receptor status, and year of diagnosis. Clinicopathological features, treatments, and survival outcomes were compared between carriers and noncarriers. Results Most patients in COQD had stage I-II disease (87.2%), and more carriers than noncarriers had genetic testing before diagnosis (33% vs 5.6%, P < .001). In YWS, 22.7% of patients had stage III tumors, and few were tested before diagnosis (14.8% of carriers vs 1.7% of noncarriers; P < .001). Carriers in COQD received chemotherapy more often than noncarriers (81.1 vs 67.0%, P < .001), including platinum (P = .010); the proportion was similar for carriers and noncarriers in YWS. After adjusting for chemotherapy, relapse-free survival was longer in carriers than noncarriers in COQD (adjusted hazard ratio = 0.48 [95% CI = 0.26 to 0.87], P = .016), and a favorable trend was observed for other survival outcomes in both cohorts. Triple-negative tumors appeared to drive the differences. Conclusions We observed a trend toward improved outcomes in gBRCA1/2 PV carriers compared with noncarriers. These findings suggest that carriers should not receive more aggressive treatment solely based on their germline mutation status. Prospective clinical trials in this population are warranted.

Abstract Background Breast cancer (BC) diagnosed during pregnancy or postpartum often presents with aggressive features, potentially influenced by hormonal, immunological, and tissue remodeling changes. Studies have suggested that postpartum BC may be associated with worse outcomes, though most evidence is retrospective and constrained by methodological limitations. This study evaluated associations between pregnancy history, recency of childbirth, and long-term outcomes in a prospective cohort of young patients with early-stage BC. Patients and Methods Patients aged ≤40 years with stage I–III BC enrolled in the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Study were categorized at diagnosis as nulligravid, nulliparous, pregnant, or parous (≤5 vs 5 to 10 years postpartum). Analyses were stratified by BC subtype (estrogen receptor-positive [ER+]/HER2−, HER2+, and triple-negative [TNBC]), with distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS) as the primary endpoint. Results Among 859 patients, 257 (29.9%) were nulligravid, 50 (5.8%) nulliparous, 37 (4.3%) pregnant, and 515 (60.0%) parous. Pregnant patients had proportionally more TNBC, nodal involvement, T3/T4, and grade 3 tumors. After 11.1 years median follow-up, pregnancy or postpartum status was not independently associated with DRFS in multivariable models adjusted for age, tumor characteristics, and treatment, with consistent findings across ER+/HER2−, HER2+, and TNBC subtypes. Sensitivity analyses, including further categorization of postpartum diagnoses (<2 vs 2 to 5 years), yielded consistent results. Conclusions Pregnancy history and recency of childbirth were not independently associated with long-term DRFS. Despite more aggressive features at diagnosis, patients diagnosed during or after pregnancy had comparable outcomes after adjustment, suggesting no adverse prognostic impact. Clinical trial registration NCT01468246 (https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01468246? term=NCT01468246&rank=1).

Abstract Background The incidence of early onset breast cancers (BCs) has increased, paralleling rising trends in delayed childbearing. We hypothesize that a distinct postpartum BC (PPBC) subtype, identifiable by time since last birth (TSLB) and biomarker expression, contributes to this trend. Methods We applied GeoMx Digital Spatial Profiling (DSP) to measure associations between TSLB and 71 proteins in 640 BCs from women aged ≤40 years included in the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Study. We analyzed data using univariable linear regression and multivariable sliced inverse regression to account for higher order interactions among biomarkers. Results In keratin-rich segments, progesterone receptor (PR) (P = 1.00 × 10−4) and PTEN (P = 1.00 × 10−3) were associated with longer TSLB; multivariable analyses revealed positive associations for GZMB (P = 4.00 × 10−4), SMA (P = 1.00 × 10−4), and NF-1 (P = 1.00 × 10−3). In keratin-poor segments, univariable significant positive associations were found for PR (P = 2.00 × 10−4) and PTEN (P = 1.00 × 10−3), whereas CD20 (P = 3.00 × 10−4) and CTLA4 (P = 4.00 × 10−5) were negatively associated; multivariable significant associations were found for fibronectin (P = 3.00 × 10−5) and pan-Akt (P = 1.00 × 10−3). Associations persisted after adjustment for multiple comparisons and BC molecular subtypes. Associations including for PR, PTEN, and CD20 were strongest among women with the shortest TSLB. OPAL multiplex immunofluorescence assays for PR, PTEN, CD20, SMA, and CTLA4 replicated several DSP findings, particularly when stratified by subtype and with compartment matching. In TCGA, RNA species linked to proteins associated with TSLB correlated strongly with a T-cell exhaustion signature previously linked to poor prognosis among premenopausal women. Conclusion These data support PPBC as a biologically coherent phenotype defined by TSLB and biomarker profile, with potential implications for prevention and therapy.

Abstract Purpose: The role of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) remains unclear in hormone receptor (HR)–positive/HER2-negative breast cancer, particularly in young patients, whose immune microenvironment could be altered by age-related host and tumor differences. Experimental Design: Patients with stage I to III HR-positive/HER2-negative tumors were identified from a prospective cohort study of patients with breast cancer diagnosed at age ≤40 years. Multiplexed immunofluorescence and semiautomated quantitative software measured cytotoxic T, non–CD8 T, T regulatory, exhausted T, and PDL1+ cells in stroma and tumor. Univariate analyses assessed differences in clinicopathologic characteristics by high versus low immune infiltration, divided based on median. TIL subtypes were evaluated as a continuous variable per 10% increase in Cox regression analyses for invasive breast cancer–free survival, distant disease–free survival (DDFS), and overall survival, adjusted for clinicopathologic parameters. Results: Among 390 patients, high immune infiltration was associated with increasing age, Black race, grade 3 tumors, and metaplastic or micropapillary histologic subtypes. Over a median follow-up of 8 years, higher stromal and intratumoral non–CD8 T-cell infiltration, T regulatory–cell infiltration, and PDL1 expression were associated with improved invasive breast cancer–free survival. Higher intratumoral non–CD8 T-cell infiltration, T regulatory–cell infiltration, and PDL1 expression were associated with improved DDFS; higher stromal PDL1 expression was also associated with improved DDFS. Higher intratumoral cytotoxic T-cell infiltration and PDL1 expression were associated with improved overall survival. Conclusions: Characterization of immune subpopulations could help refine the prognostic value of TILs in young patients with HR-positive breast cancer, who may benefit from risk stratification for treatment individualization. See related commentary by Salgado and Kok, p. 2133

Importance Women diagnosed with breast cancer at a young age are felt to have a higher risk for locoregional recurrence (LRR) regardless of type of local therapy. Objective To assess the long-term incidence of isolated LRR by molecular subtype in a modern multicenter cohort of young women. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study, a multicenter prospective study named the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Study, enrolled 1302 women diagnosed with breast cancer at 40 years or younger from 2006 to 2016. Treatment information and incident LRR (ipsilateral breast/chest or lymph node recurrence) were self-reported on study surveys and confirmed with medical record review; molecular subtype was determined by record review. Analysis was reported from February 2023 to May 2025. Main Outcomes and Measures Cumulative incidence of isolated LRR was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method; hazard ratios were estimated by Cox proportional hazards regression. Results The cohort included 1135 women with stage I through III breast cancer who had a median follow-up of 10.1 years (range, 0.4-16.3 years). The age at diagnosis was younger than 30 years for 145 patients (12.8%), 31 to 35 years for 318 patients (28.0%), and 36 to 40 years for 672 patients (59.2%). There were 59 isolated local recurrences (5.2%) and 4 isolated regional recurrences (0.4%). Among patients with local therapy and subtype data available (n = 1128), 366 (32%) had luminal A–like tumors; 240 (21%), luminal B–like tumors; 231 (20%) luminal ERBB2 positive (+)–like (formerly HER2 positive); 90 (8%) ERBB2 +-like; and 201 (18%) triple negative. A total of 346 women (30%) had breast-conserving therapy (BCT) (98% of whom had radiation), 296 (26%) unilateral mastectomy, and 487 (43%) bilateral mastectomy. Of women who had mastectomy, 425 (54%) had radiation. The cumulative incidence of LRR at 10.1 years by subtype was as follows: luminal A, 4.4% (range, 1.0%-6.9%); luminal B, 4.7% (range 1.8%-7.7%); luminal ERBB2 +, 6.1% (range, 3.1%-8.3%); ERBB2 +, 2.2% (range, 0%-6.3%); and triple negative, 6.5% (range, 4.2%-10.1%). The cumulative incidence of LRR by locoregional treatment type at 10.1 years was 6.7% after BCT (range, 4.3%-10.1%), 6.5% after mastectomy without radiation (range, 0%-7.7%), and 2.4% after mastectomy with radiation (range, 1%-4.2%). Although mastectomy with radiation was associated with the lowest risk of LRR on multivariable analysis, when examined within molecular subtype, there were no differences seen. Conclusions and Relevance In this contemporary cohort of women diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40 years or younger, risk of isolated LRR was relatively low (5.6%) at a median follow-up of 10.1 years, and significant differences were not seen by tumor subtype. Concerns for long-term risk of LRR should not influence surgical decision-making with young women, irrespective of molecular subtype.

e12562 Background: Previous research has suggested that breast cancer (BC) diagnosed during pregnancy or the postpartum period exhibits more aggressive clinical features, possibly due to pregnancy-related hormonal changes, immune modulation, and alterations in the mammary microenvironment compared to nulligravid or women many years out from pregnancy. Emerging data have demonstrated potential worse outcomes for patients (pts) diagnosed in post-partum. This study evaluated the influence of timing of diagnosis in relation to pregnancy history and recency of childbirth on long-term outcomes in a modern cohort of young pts with early-stage BC. Methods: Pts with stage I–III BC age < 40y in the prospective Young Women’s Breast Cancer Study (YWBCS) were categorized at diagnosis as Nulligravid (no prior pregnancy), Nulliparous (prior pregnancy without live birth), Currently Pregnant, or Parous (subdivided by time since last childbirth: within 5 years [≤ 5y PP], and 5–10 years postpartum [5–10y PP]). Baseline characteristics and outcomes were compared across BC subtypes (estrogen receptor+/HER2- [ER+/HER2-], HER2+, and triple-negative BC [TNBC]). Prognostic analyses for distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS) used Cox models. Results: 859 pts were included, 257 (30%) nulligravid, 50 (6%) nulliparous, 37 (4%) pregnant, and 515 (60%) parous (348 [68%] were ≤5y PP, and 167 [32%] were 5–10y PP). Median follow-up was 133 (6–209) months. Median age at diagnosis was lower in nulligravid pts (33 vs. 35–38 years); T1 tumors were most common in pts >5y PP (62%), and N0 status was highest in nulligravid pts (64%) (all p < 0.0001). Pregnant pts had higher rates of TNBC (27%), and T3 tumors (14%), N1 status, N1 (41%), and Grade 3 (81%) tumors compared to other groups (all p < 0.0001). Overall, only tumor size (T2-T4 vs T1, HR 2.03; 95% CI 1.37–3.03) and nodal status (N1 vs N0, HR 2.22; 1.48–3.34; N2/3 vs N0, HR 3.23; 1.96-5.33) were independently associated with worse DRFS; pregnancy history was not: nulligravid + nulliparous pts had no significant differences in DRFS compared to Pregnant (HR 1.46; 0.75–2.86), Parous <5y PP (HR 0.86; 0.58–1.26), and Parous 5–10y PP (HR 0.89; 0.54–1.48). Subgroup analyses by BC subtype (Table) and sensitivity analyses (excluding currently pregnant pts or separating nulligravid and nulliparous pts) demonstrated no significant associations between pregnancy history and DRFS. Conclusions: In this cohort study of very young patients with early breast cancer with contemporary treatment including management of breast cancer during pregnancy, pregnancy history and recency of pregnancy were not independent predictors of long-term disease outcomes. DRFS results by subgroup. Pregnancy Group N (%) HR (95% CI) ER+/HER2- Nulligravid + Nulliparous 173 (38.1) Ref Pregnant 16 (3.5) 0.93 (0.32–2.70) Parous ≤5y PP 177 (39.0) 0.77 (0.45–1.29) Parous 5–10y PP 88 (19.4) 0.78 (0.39–1.53) HER2+ Nulligravid + Nulliparous 77 (30.8) Ref Pregnant 11 (4.4) 3.27 (0.80–13.38) Parous ≤5y PP 113 (45.2) 1.50 (0.60–3.75) Parous 5–10y PP 49 (19.6) 1.45 (0.45–4.66) TNBC Nulligravid + Nulliparous 56 (36.8) Ref Pregnant 10 (6.6) 1.92 (0.61–6.09) Parous ≤5y PP 57 (37.5) 0.68 (0.28–1.63) Parous 5–10y PP 29 (19.1) 1.16 (0.43–3.14)

Abstract Background. Approximately 12,000 women aged 40 years or younger are diagnosed with breast cancer every year in the United States alone. Limited data exist regarding survival in young women with metastatic breast cancer (MBC), particularly when considering modern tumor subtyping and treatment, though previous studies have suggested that patients presenting with MBC at diagnosis (de novo stage IV) have better prognosis than those who develop recurrent MBC after initial diagnosis of stage 0-III disease. We sought to determine survival rates in young patients with MBC stratified by disease presentation (de novo versus recurrent) and subtype. Methods. The Young Women’s Breast Cancer Study (YWS) is a multicenter, prospective cohort which enrolled 1,302 women diagnosed with stage 0-IV breast cancer at age ≤40 from 13 North American academic and community-based sites from 2006-2016. The current median follow-up is 10.1 (range 0.4-16.3) years. Histopathology slides were centrally reviewed for 97% of the participants, and clinical tumor molecular subtypes have been detailed. In the recurrent group, receptors were obtained from the initial breast surgery. Descriptive analyses were used to characterize patients with de novo or recurrent MBC, including demographic and disease characteristics, and survival rates. Overall survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared by log-rank test between those who presented with de novo and relapsed disease overall and within tumor subtypes. Results. Among 246 patients included in this analysis, 74.0% (n=182) had recurrent MBC and 26.0% (n=64) had de novo MBC. Most patients were white (n=208, 84.6%), while 6.9% were Asian (n=17), 4.5% Black (n=11), 0.8% Native American (n=2), 0.8% multiracial (n=2) and 2.4% other/unknown (n=6). A total of 4.5% of patients were Hispanic (n=11). Median age at diagnosis of de novo MBC was 37 years and 40 years for diagnosis of metastasis in the recurrent group. Median disease-free interval was 3.23 (range 0.32 – 13.84) years for the recurrent MBC group. Among all patients with MBC, most (55.7%, n=137) had estrogen receptor (ER) and/or progesterone receptor (PR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative disease, whereas 17.9% (n=44) had ER and/or PR-positive HER2-positive, 7.3% (n=18) had ER/PR-negative HER2-positive, and 18.7% (n=46) had triple-negative tumors. A greater proportion of participants (43.8%, n=28) had HER2-positive disease in the de novo group than in the recurrent group (18.7%, n=34), P=&lt; 0.0001. A total of 10.9% (n=7) of de novo patients had a germline BRCA mutation, compared to 13.7% (n=25) in the recurrent group. Median survival was 5.09 (95% CI: 3.74 – 6.38) years in the de novo group and 2.63 (95% CI: 1.98 – 3.21) years in the recurrent MBC group (P=0.0004). When stratifying by subtype, survival among patients with de novo ER and/or PR-positive HER2-positive disease was longer than among patients with recurrent disease (P=0.0149), whereas there were no statistically significant differences in survival between the de novo and recurrent disease groups in other disease subtypes (Table 1). Conclusion. Survival in young women with MBC is highly heterogeneous and varies substantially by tumor subtype and disease presentation. Those with de novo ER and/or PR-positive HER2-positive subtype appear to have better outcomes than those with recurrent MBC with the same subtype. These findings can inform patient care and potential future research to improve outcomes for young patients with MBC. Table 1: Median survival by disease presentation and subtype * 1 patient with recurrent MBC was not included because the initial diagnosis was DCIS MBC: metastatic breast cancer; OS: overall survival; CI: confidence interval; ER: estrogen receptor; PR: progesterone receptor; HER2: human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 Citation Format: Leticia Varella, Yue Zheng, Shoshana Rosenberg, Gregory Kirkner, Craig Snow, Kathryn Ruddy, Rulla Tamimi, Jeffrey Peppercorn, Lidia Schapira, Virginia Borges, Steven Come, Laura Collins, Ellen Warner, Kate Dibble, Eric Winer, Ann Partridge. Survival in Young Women with De Novo or Recurrent Metastatic Breast Cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO5-05-14.

Abstract Adolescent and young adults (AYAs) (15-39 years) have a heightened risk of developing a second primary malignancy due to extended periods of survivorship, higher incidence of germline cancer predisposing variants, and increased susceptibility to treatment-induced malignancies. Research on survivors of specific AYA cancer types, including breast cancer (BC) survivors, is limited. Among BC survivors, while much survivorship research focuses on risk of locoregional recurrence or contralateral BC, little is known about overall risk, and risk factors, of developing second non-breast primaries. This prospective cohort study examined women diagnosed with BC from 2006-2016 at age ≤40 years enrolled in the Young Women’s BC Study (YWS) (N=1297). Women were excluded from the analytic cohort if initially diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer (N=64). To enable investigation of how BC treatments may impact second primary risk, women were also excluded if they reported another cancer before primary BC diagnosis (N=3). Patient characteristics, treatment information, and clinical events were collected via serial surveys. Tumor characteristics and detailed treatment data were obtained from medical record review. Five- and 10-year risk of second non-breast primary was estimated via the cumulative incidence function after applying the Fine-Gray competing risks model with time starting at primary BC diagnosis. Death, metastasis, or diagnosis with a second primary BC were considered as competing events. Univariate and multivariate Fine-Gray sub-distribution models were used to estimate sub-distribution hazard ratios (sHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for second non-breast primary cancer risk. Risk factors considered included age, race, body mass index, smoking, alcohol use, income, family history of cancer, germline pathogenic variant (PV) carrier status, tumor stage, grade, and ER status, primary surgery type, and receipt of radiation, chemotherapy, or endocrine therapy (yes/no). Multivariate models tested individual associations with additional adjustment for radiation therapy and PV carrier status, as both are consistently associated with second primary in the literature. Over a median follow-up of 10.1 years (inter-quartile range (IQR) =7.9-12.1 y), 47 patients (4%) developed a second non-breast primary cancer. Median age at second non-breast primary was 43 years (IQR=39-46), and median time between primary BC and second non-breast primary was 7.3 years (IQR=4.1-9.3). Second primary types included melanoma (n=10), thyroid (n=10), ovarian (n=4), sarcoma (n=4), uterine (n=3), rectal (n=3), bladder (n=2), cervical (n=2), head and neck (n=2), lung (n=2), lymphoma (n=2), pancreatic (n=2), and kidney (n=1). During the study, 22 patients (2%) developed a second primary BC, 167 (19%) developed metastasis, and 15 (1%) died from causes other than BC. Among the patients who developed a second primary BC, two later developed another non-breast cancer (ovarian and brain cancer). When incorporating competing risks, five and 10-year cumulative incidence of second non-breast primary was 1.4% and 3.2%, respectively. No patient or treatment factors were statistically significantly associated with second non-breast primary in univariate or multivariate models, including radiation and PV carrier status. In this population of young BC survivors, 10-year cumulative incidence of second non-breast primary cancer was 3.2%, with the most common second cancers being melanoma and thyroid cancer. Incidence rates of all second primary cancer types in this cohort were higher than population-based incidence rates for healthy women under 50 years of age, highlighting the importance of long-term surveillance for other cancer events in this young population. While risk of second non-breast primary was not associated with primary BC treatment in this study, cases were limited, and the follow-up interval was relatively short. Citation Format: Bessie Zhang, Kristen Brantley, Shoshana Rosenberg, Gregory Kirkner, Laura Collins, Kathryn Ruddy, Rulla Tamimi, Lidia Schapira, Virginia Borges, Ellen Warner, Steven Come, Eric Winer, Ann Partridge. Second primary non-breast cancers in young breast cancer survivors [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2023 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2023 Dec 5-9; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2024;84(9 Suppl):Abstract nr PO3-11-10.

Importance Among women diagnosed with primary breast cancer (BC) at or younger than age 40 years, prior data suggest that their risk of a second primary BC (SPBC) is higher than that of women who are older when they develop a first primary BC. Objective To estimate cumulative incidence and characterize risk factors of SPBC among young patients with BC. Design, Setting, and Participants Participants were enrolled in the Young Women’s Breast Cancer Study, a prospective study of 1297 women aged 40 years or younger who were diagnosed with stage 0 to III BC from August 2006 to June 2015. Demographic, genetic testing, treatment, and outcome data were collected by patient surveys and medical record review. A time-to-event analysis was used to account for competing risks when determining cumulative incidence of SPBC, and Fine-Gray subdistribution hazard models were used to evaluate associations between clinical factors and SPBC risk. Data were analyzed from January to May 2023. Main Outcomes and Measures The 5- and 10- year cumulative incidence of SPBC. Results In all, 685 women with stage 0 to III BC (mean [SD] age at primary BC diagnosis, 36 [4] years) who underwent unilateral mastectomy or lumpectomy as the primary surgery for BC were included in the analysis. Over a median (IQR) follow-up of 10.0 (7.4-12.1) years, 17 patients (2.5%) developed an SPBC; 2 of these patients had cancer in the ipsilateral breast after lumpectomy. The median (IQR) time from primary BC diagnosis to SPBC was 4.2 (3.3-5.6) years. Among 577 women who underwent genetic testing, the 10-year risk of SPBC was 2.2% for women who did not carry a pathogenic variant (12 of 544) and 8.9% for carriers of a pathogenic variant (3 of 33). In multivariate analyses, the risk of SPBC was higher among PV carriers vs noncarriers (subdistribution hazard ratio [sHR], 5.27; 95% CI, 1.43-19.43) and women with primary in situ BC vs invasive BC (sHR, 5.61; 95% CI, 1.52-20.70). Conclusions Findings of this cohort study suggest that young BC survivors without a germline pathogenic variant have a low risk of developing a SPBC in the first 10 years after diagnosis. Findings from germline genetic testing may inform treatment decision-making and follow-up care considerations in this population.

Immune escape is a prerequisite for tumor growth. We previously described a decline in intratumor activated cytotoxic T cells and T cell receptor (TCR) clonotype diversity in invasive breast carcinomas compared to ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), implying a central role of decreasing T cell responses in tumor progression. To determine potential associations between peripheral immunity and breast tumor progression, here, we assessed the peripheral blood TCR clonotype of 485 breast cancer patients diagnosed with either DCIS or de novo stage IV disease at younger (<45) or older (≥45) age. TCR clonotype diversity was significantly lower in older compared to younger breast cancer patients regardless of tumor stage at diagnosis. In the younger age group, TCR-α clonotype diversity was lower in patients diagnosed with de novo stage IV breast cancer compared to those diagnosed with DCIS. In the older age group, DCIS patients with higher TCR-α clonotype diversity were more likely to have a recurrence compared to those with lower diversity. Whole blood transcriptome profiles were distinct depending on the TCR-α Chao1 diversity score. There were more CD8 + T cells and a more active immune environment in DCIS tumors of young patients with higher peripheral blood TCR-α Chao1 diversity than in those with lower diversity. These results provide insights into the role that host immunity plays in breast cancer development across different age groups.