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Purpose: To assess the influence of age as a continuous variable on the prognosis of pT1-2N1 breast cancer and examine its decision-making value for postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT). Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 5438 patients with pT1-2N1 breast cancer after mastectomy in 11 hospitals. A multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model with penalized splines was used to examine the relationship between age and oncologic outcomes. Results: The median follow-up was 67.0 months. After adjustments for confounding characteristics, nonsignificant downward trend in locoregional recurrence (LRR) risk was observed with increasing age (P-non-linear association = 0.640; P-linear association = 0.078). A significant non-linear association was found between age and disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) (P-non-linear association 0.05, respectively). The DFS and OS exhibited U-shaped relationships, with the hazard ratios (HRs), reaching a nadir at 50 years old. A decreased risk of LRR with PMRT vs. no PMRT (HR = 0.304, 95% CI: 0.204–0.454) was maintained in all ages. The HR of PMRT vs. no PMRT for DFS and OS gradually increased with age. In patients ≤50 years old, PMRT was independently associated with favorable LRR, DFS, and OS, all P 50 years old, PMRT was independently associated with reduced LRR (P = 0.004), but had no effect on DFS or OS. Conclusions: Age was an independent prognostic factor for pT1-2N1 breast cancer; PMRT provided survival benefits for patients ≤50 years old, but not for patients >50 years old.

Background: Information on the relationship between sleep duration and obesity among children in urban Guangzhou, China is limited. This study aims to examine the relationship between sleep duration and obesity in children aged 6-18 years.Methods: The sample consisted of 11,830 children aged 6-18 years. The children were randomly selected from 13 schools in three urban districts of Guangzhou. The study was conducted from September to November 2013. The height and weight of the children were measured. Adiposity status was estimated using body mass index and according to the cut point in China criteria. In the structured questionnaire, children reported daily sleep hours (less than 7 h, 7-9 h and more than 9 h), weekly food intake amount (including vegetables, fruit, sugar beverages and meat), physical activity and sedentary time. A caretaker would answer the questionnaire on behalf of a child aged below nine.Results: A total of 8,760 children (49.0 % boys) completed the study. The prevalence of obesity was 8.4 % (9.8 % in boys and 5.7 % in girls). Adjusted for age, diet and physical activity/sedentary behaviour, the odds ratio (OR) for obesity comparing sleeping <7 h (short sleep duration, SSD) with ≥9 h (long sleep duration, LSD) was 0.70 (95 % CI: 0.69-0.72) among boys and 1.73 (95 % CI: 1.71-1.74) among girls. Stratified by age, OR for boys aged 6-12 years comparing SSD with LSD was 0.60 (95 % CI: 0.55-0.66); by contrast, OR was 1.33 (95 % CI: 1.30-1.37) for boys aged 13-18 years.Conclusion: Short sleep duration is associated with increased chances of obesity among girls and 13- to 18-year-old boys, but the chances of obesity are decreased among 6- to 12-year-old boys. Age and gender should be regarded as specific characteristics for the effects of short sleep on obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]