Publication:

Breast cancer, Clinical presentations, Risk factors, Staging

Background Breast cancer is most common cause of cancer related mortality and second most common cause of cancer in females in India. Hence study aims to evaluate the clinical profile and risk factors of the breast cancer.

Methods This is cross sectional study done at Victoria hospital and Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital between January 2012 to October 2012 among 50 females patients more than 18 years of age, presented with breast cancer irrespective of tumour stage, size and location and for whom preliminary diagnosis of carcinoma breast was confirmed on fine needle aspiration cytology. Preformed, pretested semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect the data regarding the risk factors and clinical presentations of the patients.

Results Maximum participants 18 (36%) were in the age group of 41-50 years, 32 (64%) patients belonged to lower class with mean age at menarche of 13.3 years. About 26 (52%) patients were in premenopausal state. In present study, 48 (96%) of the total patients were multiparous and 47 (94%) women practiced breast feeding for more than 4 months. None of the patients in this study had a family history of breast cancer. Most breast cancer patients presented with history of lump followed by pain 14 (28%) and nipple retraction 9(18%). Most of the patients 29(58%) had upper outer quadrant involvement followed by upper inner quadrant in 7 (14%).In about 26 (52%)patients, tumour size was more than 5 cm and 32 (64 %) patients had axillary lymph nodes.

Conclusions Breast cancer was predominantly a disease of middle aged, lump in breast is commonest mode of presentation with upper outer quadrant involvement and 26 (52%) patients were in stage II of TNM classification.