I Harirchi1, S Kolahdoozan2, M Karbakhsh3, N Chegini4, S M Mohseni4, A Montazeri5, A J Momtahen4, A Kashefi4, M Ebrahimi6. 1. Department of Surgery, Cancer Institute, Cancer Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran. Electronic address: harirchi@sina.tums.ac.ir. 2. Department of Gastroenterology, Digestive Disease Research Center, Shariati Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran. 3. Department of Community Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran. 4. Department of Surgery, Cancer Institute, Cancer Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran. 5. Department of Mental Health, Iranian Institute for Health Sciences Research, Academic Center for Education, Culture & Research, Tehran. 6. Department of Surgery, Cancer Research Center, Iranian Center for Breast Cancer, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy among Iranian women. Although the relative incidence of BC is low, the cause-specific mortality is much higher than developed countries. The present study surveyed the overall trend of BC in Tehran. PATIENTS AND METHODS: all breast pathologic records were studied in five major hospitals in Tehran during three phases (1: 1985-1995; 2: 1996-2000; and 3: 2001-2005). Malignant cases were classified according to the tumor-node-metastasis classification. Data were compared across the study. RESULTS: Of 9050 medical records from male and female patients with 'breast disease', 2946 females with BC were included. A significant increase in the diagnosis of palpable early BCs (stage II increased, stage III decreased) was observed between phases 1 and 2. A relative increases in stages 0 and I were noted between phases 3 and 2. Nevertheless, 76.8% of cases were T2 or higher and 65.3% had positive lymph nodes in the last phase. The proportion of patients with stage IIIb was increased in phase 3, despite the reduction in phase 2. CONCLUSIONS: despite the relative improvement in the status of BC patients, the vast majority are diagnosed in advanced stages. Specific screening measures should be implemented in Iran.
BACKGROUND:breast cancer (BC) is the most common malignancy among Iranian women. Although the relative incidence of BC is low, the cause-specific mortality is much higher than developed countries. The present study surveyed the overall trend of BC in Tehran. PATIENTS AND METHODS: all breast pathologic records were studied in five major hospitals in Tehran during three phases (1: 1985-1995; 2: 1996-2000; and 3: 2001-2005). Malignant cases were classified according to the tumor-node-metastasis classification. Data were compared across the study. RESULTS: Of 9050 medical records from male and female patients with 'breast disease', 2946 females with BC were included. A significant increase in the diagnosis of palpable early BCs (stage II increased, stage III decreased) was observed between phases 1 and 2. A relative increases in stages 0 and I were noted between phases 3 and 2. Nevertheless, 76.8% of cases were T2 or higher and 65.3% had positive lymph nodes in the last phase. The proportion of patients with stage IIIb was increased in phase 3, despite the reduction in phase 2. CONCLUSIONS: despite the relative improvement in the status of BC patients, the vast majority are diagnosed in advanced stages. Specific screening measures should be implemented in Iran.