ORIGINAL ARTICLES   

Gazzetta Medica Italiana Archivio per le Scienze Mediche 2009 February;168(1):37-9

Copyright © 2009 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Epidemiological aspects of breast cancer in a treatment center in Brazil

Bordin jr N. ¹, Felt Conte A. ², Pereira De Godoy J. M. ³

¹ Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics São José do Rio Preto University School of Medicine São Paulo, Brazil 2 Department of Genetics São José do Rio Preto University School of Medicine São Paulo, Brazil 3 Department of Cardiology and Vascular Surgery São José do Rio Preto University School of Medicine São Paulo, Brazil Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico-CNPq São Paulo, Brazil

Aim. The objective of the current study is to report epidemiological data of breast cancer in a hospital school in Brazil.
Methods. One hundred female patients with breast cancer were evaluated. Data taken into account were: age, duration of complaints, method used to detect the tumor; age at menarche; age at menopause and whether it was spontaneous or surgical; parity, deliveries and miscarriages; age of mother at birth of first child; type of feeding used; alcohol ingestion; smoking; personal history of neoplasia and breast affected by neoplasia.
Results. Patients were aged 28±83 years, 84% of the patients were older than 45 years old; 88.3% of the women looked for medical care after palpating the breast tumor by chance and 11.7% of them were asymptomatic, mean age at menarche was 12.6 years; 74% of patients reached menopause at 36±59 years, with 67.5% of the cases being natural, 25.67% of the women were on hormonal reposition therapy; the mean number of pregnancies was 2.9-66%; the miscarriages varied from zero to four; 13.3% did not breastfeed, 20.6% were smokers; 2.2% were alcoholics; two had synchronous bilateral breast neoplasias and one had multicentric neoplasia.
Conclusion. The epidemiological factors found for breast cancer in this study are the same as those observed in the literature and that more preventive guidance in respect to this disease is required.