ABSTRACT
Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Lebanese women. Lebanon has no national cancer registry and the American University of Beirut Medical Center [AUBMC] is one of the largest hospitals in Lebanon and has a fully operational cancer registry. Earlier studies showed that it sees about one third of all cancer cases in Lebanon. Methods: All female breast cancer patients recorded at AUBMC between 1983 and 2000 were evaluated. We used the sex-specific age distribution of 1995 Lebanese Population and Housing Survey to estimate the age-specific incidence of breast cancer in Lebanon. The results were calculated as number and proportion of cases, 10-year age-specific incidence rates, crude rates and age standardized rates [ASR] per 100,000 population. The ASR per 100,000 population was estimated by the direct method with the use of the World Standard Population. Results Between 1983 and 2000, there were a total of 16421 cancers of which 8007 were in women. There were 2673 female breast cancers, averaging 148 cases per year [Range 94-202]. Almost half of cases [9.1%] were in women below the age of fifty. The mean age was 49.8 years +/- 13.9 years. Ten-year age groups distribution showed that 4.7% were below 30 years of age, 16.1% were 30-39 years, 28.3% were 40-49 years, 26.3% were 50-59 years, 16.9% were 60-69 years, 6.1% were 70-79 years and 1.6% were 80 years of age or older. Twenty-two patients [0.9%] had their age missing in the records. Overall ASR was 30.6, for a crude rate of 27.7. Age adjusted incidence rate-had its peak in women aged 50-59, followed by women 40-49 then 60-69 with values of 96.3, 79.9 and 77.4 per 100,000 respectively. We also noted 19 male breast cancer cases corresponding to 0.7% of the 2692 combined total. Conclusions: The percentage of women with breast cancer in Lebanon seen at AUBMC in pre-menopausal and younger-aged groups is higher than those reported from western countries. Our results emphasize the need to search for possible environmental, lifestyle and/or genetic risk factors in Lebanon.Our study also shows the importance of implementing early detection and screening programs which, along with high quality mammography and medical care, can have a positive impact on survival, especially in younger-aged women