Decreasing trend of tumor size and downstaging in breast cancer in Iran: results of a 15-year study.

The aim of this cross-sectional study was to show the characteristics of breast cancer across a period of 15 years according to pathological records in Tehran, Iran. In the year 1985, a 20-year study was designed and developed in five major hospitals in Tehran to study the burden and characteristics of breast cancer in Iran. This study is based on the data collected from 1986 through 2000. SPSS version 13 was used for statistical analysis. In this study, 1612 female breast cancer records were reviewed. The mean age of patients was 47.95+/-12.42 years with a median of 47 years. Over the study period, the proportion of tumors diagnosed at T2 increased with a decline in the proportion of T3 cases. Similarly, the percentage of stage II cases at diagnosis increased, whereas stage III decreased. We detected a decrease in tumor size and downstaging of female breast cancer in Tehran, Iran. This can be attributed to the overall improvement in the level of health in Iran and also educational activities that teach women how to perform breast self-exam and when and why to ask for breast examination.