title: DEMOGRAPHIC AND CLINICOPATHOLOGIC FEATURES OF PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY BREAST CANCER TREATED BETWEEN 1997 AND 2010: A SINGLE INSTITUTION EXPERIENCE.
abstract: Breast cancer accounted for 28% of all new cancers and 18% of female cancer deaths in Europe in 2010. It is the most common type of cancer in women in Croatia, with an incidence rate of 56.9/100 000 in the year 2010, and the highest number of newly diagnosed women aged between 60 and 64. Multiple factors are associated with an increased risk of breast cancer: advancing age, family history, exposure to endogenous and exogenous reproductive hormones, dietary factors, benign breast disease, and environmental factors. To assess demographic and clinicopathologic features of primary breast cancer, we retrospectively analyzed 870 patients treated in our institution between 1997 and 2010. Data were obtained from medical documentation and a printed questionnaire regarding life habits. Most of our patients presented with a breast lump and were self-diagnosed by breast examination. This fact highlights the need of regular breast self-examination, although it should also be taken into account that most of our patients did not attend regular mammography screening (only 31%). One of the most concerning facts is that the mean time from observing the first symptom to visiting a physician was 4 months. Previous studies have identified ignorance, fear and fatalistic attitudes, poor socioeconomic conditions, and illiteracy as important factors resulting in delay. Considering these facts, education and raising awareness about the disease in the general population is one of the key weapons for lowering breast cancer mortality.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Žitnjak
authors.forename: Željko
authors.initials: Ž
authors.lastname: Soldić
authors.forename: Davor
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kust
authors.forename: Ante
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bolanća
authors.forename: Zvonko
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Kusić
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D016504:Breast Self-Examination; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000628:therapy; D015331:Cohort Studies; D017523:Croatia; D057210:Delayed Diagnosis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008327:Mammography; D008875:Middle Aged; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human