A comparative study of pre- and post-menopausal breast cancer: Risk factors, presentation, characteristics and management

Abstract

Objective:Breast cancer is the most common female cancer worldwide and is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in Indian women. This study evaluates the differences between pre- and post-menopausal breast cancer women regarding risk factors, nature of disease presentation, tumor characteristics, and management.Methods:This is a prospective observational study, conducted in the Oncology Department of St. Ann's Cancer Hospital, for a period of 6 months from January to August 2012. Data on basic demography, clinical and pathological tumor profile, and treatment details were collected prospectively for each patient based on patient interviews and medical records.Findings:Among 100 female patients taken up for the study, 48 were premenopausal and 52 had reached menopause. The mean age of presentation for breast carcinoma was a decade earlier in these patients compared with western patients. The risk factors for both pre-and post-menopausal breast cancer were found similar other than late menopause in postmenopausal patients. Having dense breast tissue was a predominant risk factor among all women. Late presentation was the common phenomenon in almost all patients. The treatment given was not based on any standard guidelines due to inadequate public health policies.Conclusion:Late stage at presentation of breast cancer is the main problem and possesses a challenge to the health care community. In order to reduce the burden of breast cancer, a multi-sectorial approach and evidence-based strategies aiming at early detection and effective management of the disease are required.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of biological samples from non-metastatic breast cancer patients

“…Null parity was associated with an overall increased risk of BC. Contradictory to those studies, we have found that many women presented with BC despite of high parity, which agrees with a previous study conducted on Indian women by Surakasula et al [24], who showed similar findings. Post-menopausal status showed the highest frequency among BC women in this study.…”

A study on cases of breast cancer attending to government general hospital, Anantapuramu

“…similar findings are noticed in the studies conducted by other authors [4][5][6]. Similar findings were notice in studies conducted elsewhere [11][12]. The probable reason for such observation may be linked to the established fact that breast feeding reduces the risk of breast cancer.…”

“…amounting to about 67%in contrast to women who attain menarche after 13 years of age(34%). Similar findings are noticed in other studies [11][12] and hormonal reasons are attributed for the same. It is observed from the table no.6 that the incidence of breast cancer is less who are highly educated that whole has no or formal primary education.…”

Knowledge, beliefs and practices about breast cancer and its self-examination procedure among urban and rural women of district Gurdaspur, Punjab, India: a cross sectional study

“…Higher proportion of the respondent women (42.7%) were in the age group of 36-55 years with a mean age of 41±5 years and this analysis was found in agreement with the study conducted by Adelekan and Edoni 9 in Nigeria which reported that 65.3% respondents were in the age-group of 35-54 years with a mean age of 43.4 ± 9.2 years. It shows that both the studies have focused their study observations on the women around 40 years of age (nearing menopausal age) when the chances of development of breast cancer are comparatively higher 10 . Present study revealed that about 25% of the participants were illiterate.…”