title: Breast cancer in Tunisia in 2004: a comparative clinical and epidemiological study.
abstract: The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiological, clinical and anatomopathological aspects of breast cancer in Tunisia. We censored and analyzed all cases of breast cancer newly diagnosed in Tunisia during the year 2004. During that year, 1437 new cases of invasive breast cancer were diagnosed and 35 cases of non invasive breast cancer. There were 1408 women and 29 men. The accrual incidence was 27.1 and the standardized incidence was 28.5. The mean age for women was 51 years. The mean tumour size was 40.8 mm (32.3 mm and 42.5 mm for private and public sectors respectively). Tumour stage was T1 in 12.2% cases, T2 in 46.9% cases, T3 in 11.2% cases and T4 in 24.7% cases. Invasive ductal carcinoma was the most frequent (86,6%) with SBR II grade representing 54.5%. 27.7% of the patients had undergone conservative treatment. There was an unexpected increase of the incidence since 1994 where the standardized incidence was 16.9. We have noticed a moderate decrease of the tumour size of 8 mm during the last decade. This national epidemiological study on breast cancer showed an increase in the incidence of this cancer with a moderate decrease in the clinical tumour size. The relative young mean age of our patients may be explained by the age distribution in our population or by risk factors that may be particular to our country.
authors.affiliation: Radio-oncology department, Salah Azaiz Institute, Boulevard 9 avril, Bab Saadoun 1006, Tunis, Tunisia. mongi.maalej@rns.tn
authors.forename: Mongi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maalej
authors.forename: Dalenda
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hentati
authors.forename: Taha
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Messai
authors.forename: Lotfi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kochbati
authors.forename: Ahmed
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: El May
authors.forename: Karima
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mrad
authors.forename: Khaled Beb
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Romdhane
authors.forename: Mansour
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ben Abdallah
authors.forename: Bechir
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zouari
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D018567:Breast Neoplasms, Male / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D002285:Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology