Younger Patients, None-early Diagnostic Stage of Breast Cancer, and Low Breast Conservation Surgery, a Message in the Review of 102 Cases from South Iran

Breast cancer is an important cause of cancer death among women all over the world. Even in places with low incidence there are reports of an increase in the number of breast cancer patients. The aim of the present study was to report the demographic aspects of breast cancer among patients referred by surgeons for adjuvant therapy in a private cancer clinic during the past five years in Fars province, Iran. One hundred and two patients were reviewed. The age of the patients and pathologic data including size, site, histopathology of tumor, axillary lymph node involvement, Estrogen receptor and HER2/neu (human epidermal growth factor type2) receptor status were collected. Thirty percent of cases were 40-49 years old which was the most common age group, and the average age was 46 years. Most of the patients had grade II and grade III histopathology, 59 and 36 percent respectively. Modified radical mastectomy was performed in 85% of cases and in 15% of cases a breast conservation surgery was performed. The average age for breast cancer was low, the detection was delayed and the rate of breast conserving surgery was very low among our patients. This indicates a need for more studies to rule out any genetic or acquired factors contributing to this earlier appearance of disease among our population.