The epidemiology of cancer of the breast

Variations According to Patient-Age in Certain Histopathological Parameters in Cancer of the Breast

The bimodal five-year distribution curve of cancer of breast observed in this Institute from January 1970 to May 1976 has been partly explained as a result of a two-peak curve of comedocarcinoma, two unimodal early curve of solid and cribriform carcinoma and a late unimodal curve or « plateau » of papillary carcinoma. The association with the mammary lobules of these tumors is discussed.

Clinico-morphological patterns of breast cancer including family history in a New Delhi hospital, India--a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is the second most common malignancy among women, next to cervix cancer. Understanding its pathogenesis, morphological features and various risk-factors, including family history holds a great promise for the treatment, early detection and prevention of this cancer.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In an attempt to evaluate the clinico-morphological patterns of breast cancer patients, including their family history of breast and/or other cancers, a detailed analysis of 569 breast cancer cases diagnosed during the years 1989-2003 was carried out. Mean and standard deviation and Odds ratios along with 95% confidence intervals were estimated. Chi2/Fisher's exact test were employed to test for proportions.

RESULTS

Mean age of the patient at presentation was 47.8 years, ranging from 13-82 years. Among the various histo-morphological types, Infiltrating duct carcinoma (IDC) was found to be commonest type i.e. in 502 cases (88.2%), followed by infiltrating lobular carcinoma (ILC) in 21 cases (3.7%) and other types forming 9(1%). Out of 369 cases where TNM staging was available, stage IIIB (35.2%) was the commonest. Lymph node positivity was observed in 296 cases (80.2%). Out of 226 cases evaluated for presence of family history, 47 cases (20.7%) revealed positive family history of cancer, among which breast or ovarian cancer were the commonest type (72.0%). Patients below 45 years of age had more frequent occurrence of family history as compared to above 45 years. Amongst familial cases, Infiltrating duct carcinoma was the commonest form accounting for 68.8% cases while ILC was found to be in a higher proportion (12.5%) as compared to non- familial cases (5.4%).

CONCLUSION

Among the various determining factors for development of breast cancer and for its early detection, family history of cancer forms one of the major risk factor. It is important to take an appropriate history for eliciting information pertaining to occurrence of cancers amongst the patients' relatives there by identifying the high risk group. Educating the population about the risk factors would be helpful in early detection of breast cancer.

Histological and epidemiological features of breast cancer in different religious groups in greater Bombay

In this paper an attempt has been made to study the histologic and epidemiologic features of breast cancer in women from various religious groups of Greater Bombay. The crude and age-adjusted incidence rates are seen to be the highest in the Parsi community followed by the Christian, Moslem, and Hindu groups. In all the religious groups, an increase in incidence of breast cancer is first seen in the third decade. This is followed by a sharp increase up to the age of 50-54, leading to a slight drop, and then a consistent but slower rise in the older ages. The high risk of developing this cancer in Parsi women as compared with the Christian, Moslem, and Hindu experience may be due to a higher proportion of Parsi women remaining unmarried, their higher age at marriage, lower age at first pregnancy, broad spacing of pregnancies, and fewer numbers of pregnancies. The distribution according to histologic types of breast cancer in India is characterized by a high frequency of infiltrating duct carcinoma. Medullary, lobular, and squamous cell carcinoma were typical histological varieties of the older age groups, whereas ductal carcinoma was encountered mostly in premenopausal women.