Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Department of Pharmacy Practice, GIET School of Pharmacy, East Godavari, India
2 Department of Pharmacy Practice, St. Peter’s Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Warangal, India
3 Department of Radiation Oncology, St. Ann’s Hospital, Warangal, India
Abstract
Objective: Breast cancer is the most common female cancer worldwide and is the second
most commonly diagnosed cancer in Indian women. This study evaluates the differences
between pre‑ and post‑menopausal breast cancer women regarding risk factors, nature of
disease presentation, tumor characteristics, and management.
Methods: This is a prospective observational study, conducted in the Oncology Department
of St. Ann’s Cancer Hospital, for a period of 6 months from January to August 2012. Data
on basic demography, clinical and pathological tumor profile, and treatment details were
collected prospectively for each patient based on patient interviews and medical records.
Findings: Among 100 female patients taken up for the study, 48 were premenopausal and
52 had reached menopause. The mean age of presentation for breast carcinoma was a
decade earlier in these patients compared with western patients. The risk factors for both
pre‑and post‑menopausal breast cancer were found similar other than late menopause in
postmenopausal patients. Having dense breast tissue was a predominant risk factor among all
women. Late presentation was the common phenomenon in almost all patients. The treatment
given was not based on any standard guidelines due to inadequate public health policies.
Conclusion: Late stage at presentation of breast cancer is the main problem and possesses
a challenge to the health care community. In order to reduce the burden of breast cancer,
a multi‑sectorial approach and evidence‑based strategies aiming at early detection and
effective management of the disease are required.
Keywords
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