Clinical epidemiological characterization of breast cancer in women older than 20 years in El Salvador

Abstract

Introduction. By the year 2020, breast cancer was ranked number one in the world, with a constant upward trend, it affects developed and developing countries, the resulting consequences demand a timely response from the health system. Objective. To characterize clinically and epidemiologically breast cancer in patients older than 20 years treated at the Cancer Institute of El Salvador. Methodology. A cross sectional descriptive study was carried out, Information was collected from 344 records of female patients older than 20, with breast cancer from January 2017 to December 2018, diagnosed by biopsy of a pathological sample. A descriptive statistical analysis was applied. Results. A higher percentage, 59,9%, of patients were identified in urban areas; 89,2% were housewives, the average age of cancer diagnosis was 54 years, the average Body Mass Index was 29,1. The initial clinical sign was a tumor, 85,8%, with an average size of 4,8 cm. The most frequent diagnosis, 83,4%, was invasive ductal carcinoma, and more than 50% was ≥N1. Higher hormone receptor positivity was observed. 84,1% of the patients received radiotherapy treatment. Conclusion. Women with breast cáncer have the following characteristics: an adult in the sixth decade of life, overweight, a housewife, with an initial sign of a tumor, in an advanced local stage with a diagnosis of invasive ductal carcinoma.