Pattern of Presentation of Patients With Breast Cancer in Iraq in 2018: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

PURPOSEThis study aims to describe the pattern of presentation of Iraqi female patients with breast cancer by assessing the grades and stages of their cancers at the time of presentation, to identify patients’ main complaints, and to discover whether there is any difference in presentation between patients in Iraq and those in other countries.PATIENTS AND METHODSThis is a retrospective cross-sectional study that was performed in the National Center of Cancer in 2018. The target population was female patients with breast cancer who came to the Center for treatment and follow-up. A sample of 171 patients was drawn from this population. Self-evaluation forms were used in interviews with the patients to collect personal and sociodemographic data; clinical and histologic characteristics of the patients’ tumors were obtained from their medical records. Ethical approval was obtained.RESULTSForty-five percent of the patients were younger than age 50 years, and 25% were younger than age 45 years. In all, 42.9% of the patients were diagnosed with stage III and 25% with stage IV cancer, and metastasis was diagnosed in 24.1%. In our study population, 53.4% of the tumors were found in the right breast, and 3.9% of patients had bilateral breast tumors. The most common histopathologic type was invasive ductal carcinoma (81.4%) followed by invasive lobular carcinoma (6.9%) and tubular carcinoma (5.9%). The patients’ most common complaints were breast lump (71.3%) and pain (18.9%). No correlation was found between tumor stage and breast self-examination, family history, education, occupation, histopathology, or grade.CONCLUSIONMost of the patients are diagnosed at a late stage when treatment is less effective.

Pattern and distribution of cancers in areas of Iraq exposed to Depleted Uranium

“…The results of this study give an overview of the demographic, clinical, and histopathological profile of patients with cancers in Middle Euphrates area, Iraq. The numbers of patients seen for cancers decreased between 2016 and 2018 at the study center, contrasting with previous studies and the general concerns about the increasing incidence of cancers in Iraq 7,14,16,17 and the rest of the world. 1,4,18 In 2016, a total of 1,891 cancer patients were seen, dropping sharply to 1,360 in 2017, and rising to 1,601 in 2018.…”

“…5,6 Other authors have pointed at the increasing awareness, availability of cancer diagnostic centers, and better registration of suspected cancer cases as contributing to the rising numbers of cancer patients in the region. 7,8 Another unique factor which has also been implicated in the changing face of cancer in Iraq is the extensive damage to the environment as a result of war, exposure to depleted Uranium, and associated economic sanctions. 9,10…”

“…Recent data from the UICC indicates that the establishment of the Iraq population-based cancer registry as well as cancer diagnosis and treatment centers in Baghdad and other provinces have led to significant progress towards cancer control in Iraq. 7,8 These have particularly led to increased awareness, early cancer detection and treatment, and improved access to cancer care in the country.…”

“…Studies conducted in country have shown that disease presentation is often affected by the ethnic variation of the population. 7,11–13 Data from the national registry which would have been a great resource for understanding the ethnic differences in cancer presentation is often incomplete as it is deficient of details such as clinical and pathological profile of cancer patients suggesting a need for studies describing the pattern of presentation of patients with cancers. 14,15 With increasing interest in developing effective methods of cancer control and patient-oriented cancer care programs in Iraq, it becomes even more important to conduct deep-dive studies providing detailed information on the sociodemographic, clinical, and pathologic profiles of Iraqi cancer patients.…”

Transfer Learning in Breast Cancer Diagnoses via Ultrasound Imaging

“…Breast cancer is the second leading cause of death in women; 12.5% of women from different societies worldwide are diagnosed with breast cancer [1]. According to previous studies, early detection of breast cancer is crucial because it can contribute to up to a 40% decrease in mortality rate [2,3].…”