Introduction/Background Despite its favorable prognosis, node-negative breast cancer (NNBC) still carries a substantial risk of recurrence, affecting approximately 10–30% of patients. This study evaluates the effectiveness of histologic prognostic factors in guiding treatment decisions for NNBC patients in a resource-limited setting.

Methodology A retrospective analysis was conducted on 375 patients diagnosed with histologically confirmed NNBC without distant metastases over a five-year period.

Results With a median follow-up of 70.9 ± 23.4 months, 36 relapses or death events were observed. The median disease-free survival (DFS) was 170 months, while the median overall survival (OS) was 70 months. Univariate analysis revealed several significant prognostic factors for OS, including SBR grade, hormone receptor status, and molecular subtype (p<0.05). However, multivariate analysis failed to identify any independent predictors of OS. Similarly, univariate analysis identified histologic prognostic factors associated with DFS, including tumor size, hormone receptor status, Ki-67 expression, and molecular subtype. However, multivariate analysis did not demonstrate independent prognostic factors for either DFS or OS.

Conclusion Histologic prognostic factors play a role in NNBC management but demonstrate limited utility in adequately stratifying risk in a resource-limited setting. Integrating classic and novel prognostic factors is crucial for identifying high-risk NNBC patients in such environments.

Disclosures None.