Breast cancer in West Indian women in Trinidad.

A retrospective review of breast cancer in West Indian women in Trinidad is presented. Breast cancer constituted 17% of all cancers diagnosed and represented 26% of all cancers in females. The usual presenting symptom was a painless lump. The right breast and the upper outer quadrant were the common site of cancer. 85% of the patients were multiparous with an average of 4 children and 92% of them breast fed. Most patients presented in stage I disease, but a significant number of cases were in an advanced stage of the disease. Infiltrating duct carcinoma was the most frequent histological diagnosis and lobular carcinoma was seen in 1% of the cases.