RESUMO
BACKGROUND: there are few studies on breast symptoms (BS) in patients attended at primary care units in Mexico. The aim was to determine the frequency and types of BS overall and by age-group and establish which BS were related to diagnosis of breast cancer. METHODS: data from all female patients with a breast-disease-related diagnosis, attended from 2006 to 2010, at the Family Medicine Unit 38, were collected. The frequencies of BS were determined by four age-groups (< 19, 20-49, 50-69, > 70 years) and likelihood ratios for breast cancer for each breast-related symptom patient, with a 95 % confidence interval (CI). RESULTS: the most frequent BS in the study population were lump/mass (71.7 %) and breast pain (67.7 %) of all breast complaints, and they were more noted in women age group of 20-49 years. Overall, 120 women had breast cancer diagnosed with a median age of 53.51 + 12.7 years. Breast lump/mass had positive likelihood ratios for breast cancer 4.53 (95 % CI = 2.51-8.17) and breast pain had increased negative LR = 1.08 (95 % CI = 1.05-1.11). CONCLUSIONS: breast lump/mass was the predominant presenting complaint among females with breast symptoms in our primary care unit, and it was associated with elevated positive likelihood of breast cancer.
Introducción: en México, en las unidades del primer nivel hay pocos estudios sobre los síntomas mamarios. El objetivo fue determinar la frecuencia de los síntomas y los más asociados con el diagnóstico de cáncer. Métodos: se recabó información de las pacientes atendidas de 2006 a 2010 con enfermedad de mama de una unidad de medicina familiar. Se determinaron las frecuencias de los síntomas mamarios en los grupos etarios < 19, 20-49, 50-69, > 70 años y los cocientes de probabilidad (LR) de cáncer de mama para cada síntoma, con un intervalo de confianza (IC) de 95 %. Resultados: casi todas las quejas derivaron de una masa o tumoración (71.7 %) y dolor mamario (67.7 %). Presentaron cáncer de mama 120 mujeres, con un promedio de edad de 53.51 + 12.7 años. La tumoración/masa en el seno tuvo un LR+ para cáncer de mama de 4.53 (IC 95 % = 2.51-8.17) y un LR+ para dolor mamario de 1.08, 95 % (IC 95 % = 1.05-1.11). Conclusiones: la presentación de la tumoración/masa predominó como queja en nuestra unidad y estuvo asociada con un LR+ para cáncer de mama.
