Breast cancer epidemiology in Pakistani women

ABSTRACT

From our institutional tumour registry we are presenting epidemiological and risk factor profile of Pakistani women affected with breast cancer seen at Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre [SKMCH and RC]. More than 400 cases were evaluated. The median age at presentation was found to be 45 years with equal number of cases in pre- and postmenopausal women. No protective effect was seen of late or normal age of menarche [median age 13 years] or early menopause [median age 44.5 years]. Moreover, hormonal factors, non applicability was also pronounced through a first full term pregnancy at the median age of 21 years in our breast cancer patients and a majority not using birth control pills for any appreciable period of time. Most importantly late stage presentation were quite common [34%], which essentially points out the need for mass education and a need to establish breast cancer screening programme in Pakistan