ABSTRACT
Background: Breast cancer is the most common neoplasm afflicting women worldwide. In Negros Occidental, it comprises 21% of all cancers. From the cancer registry data, this study was intended to show the clinical profile of these patients with regard to established risk factors and, to determine prevalence rate of breast cancer in specific localities and the province of Negros Occidental. Objective: To determine the incidence and prevalence rates of breast cancer in Negros Occidental from 2000 to 2008 and describe patients’ clinical profile. Research Design: Cross-sectional descriptive Subject: All Breast Cancer patients registered with the cancer registry in Negros Occidental from 2000 – 2008. Results: There were 1,242 patients registered with the Negros Occidental Cancer Registry from 2000 up to the year 2008. All were included in the study. Majority were females with age at diagnosis ranging from 20 to 89 years. Seventy-one percent had no family history of cancer. Postmenopausal women constitute 49.8%. The bulk of female patients were lifelong non-smokers (78.7%). The most common histopathologic diagnosis was infiltrating ductal carcinoma (87.9%). A third of patients were Stage II-A at the time of diagnosis. Of these, 37.8% opted to undergo surgery as primary intervention. Majority have unknown estrogen and progesterone receptor status (80.3%). Bacolod City consistently had the most number of breast cancer cases over the past eight years (39.2%). The prevalence of breast cancer in Negros Occidental, as of 2008 is 51.81 per 100,000 population. Conclusion: Gender, age and positive family history as risk factors reflect the current trends in breast cancer worldwide as noted in available registry records. Other factors like ages at menarche, at first full term pregnancy and at menopause, fat intake, passive smoking, BMI and alcohol abuse should be noted and included in the database.