Age and stage of breast cancer in Pakistan: An experience at a tertiary care center

J Pak Med Assoc. 2018 Nov;68(11):1682-1685.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the age and stage of breast cancer in a tertiary care center in Karachi, Pakistan.

Methods: This retrospective, descriptive study was conducted at Breast Unit, Department of Surgery, Liaquat National Hospital Karachi, Pakistan. From 1994 to 2016 all biopsy-proven breast cancer patients were reviewed and their age and stage at presentation were noted .

Results: In the given time period 10, 018 patients with Breast cancer were registered. The most frequent age at diagnosis was in the fourth decade of life (28.51%). The majority of patients were diagnosed in stage 2 (47.26%) and only less than 4% were detected in stage 1. The stage of presentation did not differ between young and older age group of women.

Conclusions: Breast cancer is diagnosed at a younger age group in Pakistan, at least a decade earlier than the west and at an advanced stage, commonest being stage 2.

Keywords: Breast cancer diagnosis, Age, Stage.

Publication types

  • Observational Study

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Distribution
  • Age Factors
  • Aged
  • Biopsy
  • Breast / pathology*
  • Breast Neoplasms / diagnosis*
  • Breast Neoplasms / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Middle Aged
  • Neoplasm Staging*
  • Pakistan / epidemiology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Tertiary Care Centers*
  • Young Adult