title: Various aspects, patterns and risk factors in breast cancer patients of Balochistan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Breast cancer is the commonest malignancy of females throughout the world with one million new cases each year. In Pakistan, the burden of breast cancer disease is high with late stage presentation being a common feature, more than half being stage III or stage IV. The objective of this study was to study various aspects, patterns and risk factors in breast cancer patients of Balochistan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Present study was performed on 134 patients of breast cancer who were registered in CENAR. The patients were interviewed by providing a questionnaire. Informed consent was taken from all the patients who took part in this study after explanation of the study aims. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated andbiopsy reports were obtained from patients files. All the cases were classified with respect to age, gender, ethnic group (Baloch, Pashtoon, Punjabi, Afghani, Hazara) BMI, cancer type, cancer grade, hormonal status, side of the cancer, fertility and marital status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Out of 134 patients, the most common ethnic group was Pashtoon with a total of 42 and the common age group was 41-50 years with a total of 51. Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) was the most common type, accounting for in 128 patients (95.5%) followed by invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Pashtoon was the most common ethnic group, IDC was common type and most of the patients had an ER/PR positive hormonal status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology and Informatics, BUITEMS, Pakistan. hameedbaloch77@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Abdul Hameed
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Baloch
authors.forename: Jameela
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shuja
authors.forename: Shakeela
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Daud
authors.forename: Muneer
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Adeel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ahmad
authors.forename: Mehrullah
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tareen
authors.forename: Farah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Muhammad Azam
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kakar
authors.forename: Dost Mohammad
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Baloch
authors.forename: Naseebullah
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kakar
authors.forename: Hafiz Khush
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Naseeb
authors.forename: Jamil
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ahmad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D018270:Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D018275:Carcinoma, Lobular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D060787:Neoplasm Grading; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D011379:Prognosis; D012307:Risk Factors; D055815:Young Adult