EPIDEMIOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF FEMALE BREAST CANCER PATIENTS OF SAURASTRA REGION OF GUJARAT-A HOSPITAL BASED STUDY

Abstract

With the increase in adoption of westernization and sedentary life style in low- and middle-income countries like India, there is a significant increase in breast cancer incidence rate. The exact cause of breast cancer is yet unknown and there are limited studies available on the risk factors associated with breast cancer. Thus, this research work is carried out with an aim to study the region-specific contributing risk factors playing role in breast cancer incidence and their prognosis. We also aimed to study rural-urban disparity in risk factors associated with female breast cancer patients of Saurastra region of Gujarat. This Cross Sectional, Single-Centre, Hospital-based study was conducted in Cancer Hospital at Rajkot, Gujarat India. One-to-one In-person interview of total 174 primary breast cancer patients were carried out and details were collected in pre-tested structured questionnaire. Data obtained from the patients were further analysed using Bürkner’s BRMS package (R) interface and SPSS. In our study, majority of patients are from rural background and its subsequent relationship with other relevant parameters is found to be significant (p less than 0.03). The age of patients ranged from 22 to 76 years and the mean age at diagnosis of the breast cancer was 51.5 years. A positive association is observed between risk of breast cancer and BMI for both pre- and post-menopausal rural and urban women. 37% females were having premenopausal status and 62% females were postmenopausal. Out of total postmenopausal patients, 31% had attained late menopause at the age of 51 years, while 13% females had experienced menarche at less than 12 years of age. Our data is first of its kind studying risk factors playing role in breast cancer incidence in Saurashtra region of Gujarat. Even though having limited patients representing the population this region-specific study is useful for cancer projection and to understand treatment modalities.