title: The diagnosis of breast cancer--experiences from the community of Kungsbacka, Sweden.
abstract: In Kungsbacka, Sweden, with about 48,000 inhabitants, the records of all subjects who had been diagnosed to have breast cancer during a 3-year period were studied. The incidence was 41 per 100,000 inhabitants per year. A palpable mass in the breasts was the most common initial sign (77%). Most patients first visited a physician working within the primary health care system. In 94% of the patients a palpable mass in their breasts had been found by the physician. In 16% of the cases a better or a more regular breast self-examination could have reduced the patients' delay. Mean doctor's delay was approximately five weeks. Subjects with no spread to the axillary lymph nodes had a favorable prognosis with a 5-year mortality rate of 12% during the follow-up study period as compared with patients who had distant metastases and/or axillary node involvement, in whom a mortality rate of 67% was observed during the same study period.
authors.affiliation: Health Center of Kungsbacka, Department of Primary Health Care, University of Göteborg, Sweden.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Månsson
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bengtsson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology