A Retrospective Analysis of Breast Cancer Presentation Among Young and Older Women in an Indian Cohort of 70 Patients.

ABSTRACT

Introduction In females, carcinoma of the breast is a common malignancy. Disease management can be challenging for the treating clinician if the condition is presented in a locally advanced stage. Clinical presentation of a disease in a defined area provides a comprehensive map to target the at-risk population efficiently and select the appropriate intervention accordingly. In this retrospective study, we analyzed different factors that can affect breast carcinoma outcomes by assessing patients for a specific period of one year. Methods This is a retrospective study of carcinoma of breast patients and was conducted between 2017 and 2018. Results We reported a 25.83% incidence of breast cancer during the study period. A painful breast lump was present in 54.2% of patients, axillary nodes were present in 50% of patients, ulcers were present in 10% of patients, and nipple discharge was present in 8.5% of patients. According to the side and quadrant of involvement, the right side was the most common site of involvement in 55.7% of patients, and the upper outer quadrant was the most common quadrant involved in 61.4% of patients. The most familiar stage of the presentation was stage II, presented in 45.7% of patients. The most common histology was infiltrating ductal carcinoma, presented in 85.7% of patients. Conclusions This retrospective cohort study shows that carcinoma of the breast is a predominant malignancy among middle-aged females in developing countries such as India. This predominance is due to unawareness regarding disease symptoms and the fear of diagnosed malignancy during the investigation of symptoms. Early detection by screening and intervention at an early stage is the core of treatment success in this malignant disease. However, it is still challenging to apply screening as a tool to pick up early malignant disease in developing countries like India.