CLINICO-PATHOLOGICAL STUDY: 48 CASES OF CARCINOMA BREAST AT TERTIARY CARE CENTRE IN RURAL AREA

Abstract

BACKGROUND Carcinoma breast is the most common site of specific cancer in women. In India, the incidence of breast cancer is increasing rapidly to be number one cancer, now cervical cancer became second in place. Breast lump is the commonest symptom and once clinically apparent carcinoma tends to spread distantly which greatly varies from patient to patient and is characteristic of heterogeneity of the disease. The aim of the study is to study carcinoma breast with respect to various risk factors, age distribution, clinical presentation and histopathological findings. MATERIALS AND METHODS This is a hospital-based prospective observational study and data used was obtained from 48 cases that were evaluated at our institute from September 2013 to August 2015 and diagnosed to have carcinoma breast. RESULTS All the patients were females with average age of 51 years. Average age of menarche was 13 years. with almost equal proportions of pre- and post-menopausal women. Only one patient was nulliparous, rest of all the patients breast fed their children; 8.3% of the patients had a family history of disease and they all had earlier age of presentation. Duration of symptoms was more than 6 months in 43.8% cases, which reflects negligence of patients. Lump in breast was a presenting complaint in all the patients (100%) followed by nipple retraction (33.3%); 14.6% of patients had stage I disease, 39.6% had stage II disease and 45.8% had stage III disease; 81.3% of cases were of infiltrating ductal carcinoma; 60.4% of patient's samples were ER positive, while 52.1% were PR positive; 83.2% of cases were discharged without any complications. CONCLUSION FNAC was highly effective in diagnosing malignancy. Infiltrating ductal carcinoma was the most common histopathological type. A significant proportion of patients were hormone receptor positive depicting the role of hormonal therapy in the management. Early breast carcinomas are well treated with modified radical mastectomy with a need of chemoradiation in selected cases. The management of Locally Advanced Breast Carcinoma requires complex multidisciplinary approach. Raising awareness about the screening procedures and treatment of breast cancer can help reducing mortality.