The Obesity and the Risk of Breast Cancer among Pre and Postmenopausal Women

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide and the obesity is one of the factors related to the risk of breast cancer mainly in postmenopausal women. This study investigated the association between obesity in pre- and postmenopausal women with the development of breast cancer and the expression of estrogen, progesterone, HeR-2 and triple-negative (TN) receptors. Methods: A case-control study was conducted on 100 patients with recently diagnosed breast cancer and 400 age-matched controls. The women were divided into pre- and post-menopausal groups. Results: The multivariate analysis showed that postmenopausal women with a BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 at pre-diagnosis and at the most recent measurement were 1.50 (95% CI 1.06-2.13) and 1.56 (95% CI 1.11-2.21) times more likely to develop breast cancer, respectively. These women had a prevalence of obesity of 27.7% when considering pre-diagnosis BMI and 29.4% when analyzing the indicator of recent BMI. When only the cases regarding the presence of obesity with clinicopathological variables were analyzed, a total of 95.2% of the postmenopausal women with pre-diagnostic obesity according to BMI presented the positive estrogen receptor (ER) subtype. Conclusions: In Brazilian women, there is an association between obesity and the risk of breast cancer postmenopause; moreover, there is an association between the occurrence of the positive ER subtype in postmenopausal women and pre-diagnostic obesity according to BMI.

Delay in Diagnosis and Treatment of Breast Cancer among Women Attending a Reference Service in Brazil

Background: Cancer is a major public health problem. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential for reducing mortality. This study aimed to analyze factors associated with delay in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment among women attending a reference cancer service. Methods: This retrospective, cross-sectional study was performed with data collected from medical records and interviews conducted with women diagnosed with breast cancer and treated from October 2013 to October 2014 at a cancer reference hospital in Paraná, Southern Brazil. Results: A total of 82 participants were enrolled during the study period; their average age was 58.2 ± 11.5 years. The average time taken for final diagnosis of breast cancer was 102.5 ± 165.5 days. Treatment onset was delayed in the majority of cases, and the average time elapsing from diagnostic biopsy to onset of primary treatment was 72.3 ± 54.0 days. The odds of treatment delay were higher among the women with a low educational level. Conclusions: The results underline the need for proposals aimed at early detection, identification of risk factors and timely provision of treatment by health managers that focus on this group.

Mammographic Screening of Women Attending a Reference Service Center in Southern Brazil.

BACKGROUND: To investigate the prevalence of and factors associated with performance of annual mammography by women above 40 years of age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted at an oncology reference service in Southern Brazil from October 2013 to October 2014 with 525 women aged 40 years or older. RESULTS: The prevalence of annual mammography was 54.1%; annual mammographic screening was performed for women without private medical insurance, who were under hormone replacement therapy and who had used contraception in the past. An association was found between non-performance of breast clinical and self-examination and non-performance of mammographic screening. CONCLUSIONS: Use of mammography for breast cancer screening in the public health care setting proved to be accessible; nevertheless, the proportion of screened women was low, and they exhibited poor adherence to the basic measures of care recommended for breast assessment. Thus, control of breast cancer requires implementing actions targeting the population most vulnerable to non-adherence to screening in addition to continuously monitoring and assessing that population to reduce the prevalence of this disease.

Mulheres em idade fértil: causas de internação em unidade de terapia intensiva e resultados / Women of childbearing age: causes of hospitalization in intensive care unit and results

INTRODUÇÃO: Pacientes obstétricas representam uma fração significativa das admissões em unidades de cuidado intensivo e consistem em um desafio para a equipe. OBJETIVO: Analisar as principais causas de internação e morte materna de mulheres em idade fértil ocorridas em unidades de terapia intensiva de hospitais de um município do Noroeste do Paraná, Sul do Brasil. MÉTODOS: Estudo exploratório, descritivo, retrospectivo, realizado com mulheres em idade fértil (10 a 49 anos) internadas em três unidades de terapia intensiva existentes em um município do Noroeste do Paraná, por causas obstétricas e não obstétricas, no período de janeiro de 2005 a dezembro de 2009. RESULTADOS: Foram encontradas 775 internações de mulheres em idade fértil, com uma média de idade de 33,7±10,3 anos, com duração média de internação de 5,0±8,4 dias. A maior parte das mulheres era do município estudado (67,2%), com baixa escolaridade (nível primário, 68,2%). Entre as causas obstétricas de internação, a pré-eclâmpsia grave e a eclâmpsia se constituíram na principal causa (71,3%); a pielonefrite se destacou sob outras condições no período gestacional (53%). Não foi encontrada associação estatística entre internações por causas obstétricas em unidade de terapia intensiva e óbito. CONCLUSÃO: As causas não obstétricas representaram a maioria das internações de mulheres em idade fértil nas unidades de terapia intensiva do município, no período estudado e, entre as causas obstétricas, a pré-eclâmpsia grave e a eclâmpsia constituíram a principal causa.

INTRODUCTION: Obstetric patients represent a significant fraction of admissions to intensive care units and consist of a challenge to the team. Objective: To analyze the main causes of maternal death and hospitalization of women of childbearing age occurring in intensive care units of hospitals in a city in Northwestern Paraná, Southern Brazil. METHODS: Exploratory, descriptive and retrospective study, conducted with women of childbearing age (10-49 years) admitted in three intensive care units existing in a city of Northwest Paraná, for obstetric and non-obstetric causes, from January 2005 to December 2009. RESULTS: There were 775 admissions of women of childbearing age, with a mean age of 33.7±10.3 years; the mean duration of hospitalization was 5.0±8.4 days. Most of the women were from the municipality (67.2%), with low education level (primary level, 68.2%). Among the obstetric causes of hospitalization, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia constituted the main cause (71.3%); pyelonephritis stood out other conditions during pregnancy (53%). There was no statistical association betweenhospital admissions for obstetric causes in intensive care unit and death. CONCLUSION: Non-obstetric causes accounted for the majority of hospitalizations of women of childbearing age in the intensive care unit of this municipality during the study period; among obstetric causes, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia were the main causes.

Population inquiry regarding mammography in postmenopausal women in southern Brazil.

This study was conducted to analyze the prevalence of non-performance of mammography, and associated factors, among postmenopausal women. This analytical, exploratory, cross-sectional study, of a domicile population inquiry type, was performed in the municipality of Maringa, Parana, Brazil. A total of 456 women were interviewed, aged 45 to 69 years, who presented with natural menopause and cessation of menstruation for at least twelve months. Statistical associations were found between the non-performance of mammography and schooling of less than seven years, paid employment, sedentary lifestyle, smoking, the non-use of hormone replacement therapy, not having consulted a doctor in the previous year, not having consulted a gynecologist, lacking a family history of breast cancer, not having performed the Papanicolaou test, not having performed clinical breast examination, and not having difficult access to health services. After logistic regression analysis, not performing mammography was associated with reports of a fair or bad health status. The study data revealed factors "responsible" for the non-performance of mammography, and the results should contributing to improvement/enhancement of healthy behaviour of Brazilian women in the post-menopausal phase.