Abstract
BackgroundData on breast cancer survival and its prognostic factors are lacking in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Sociodemographic and pathologic factors have been studied widely in western populations but are very limited in this region. This study is the first to report breast cancer survival and investigate prognostic factors associated with its survival in the UAE.MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study involving 988 patients who were diagnosed and histologically confirmed with breast cancer between January 2008 and December 2012 at Tawam hospital, Al Ain, UAE. Patient were followed from the date of initial diagnosis until the date of death from any cause, lost-to-follow up or the end of December 2018. The primary outcome is overall survival (OS). The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the survival curve along with the 2- and 5-year survivals. Different group of patients categorized according to prognostic factors were compared using the log-rank test. Multiple Cox proportional hazards models was used to examine the impact of several prognostic factors on the overall survival.ResultsThe median study follow-up was 35 months. Of the 988 patients, 62 had died during their follow-up, 56 were lost to follow-up and 870 were still alive at the end of the study. The average age of patients was 48 years. The majority of patients presented to the hospital with grade II or III, 24% with at least stage 3 and 9.2% had metastasis. The 2-year and 5-year survivals were estimated to 97% and 89% respectively. Results of the multiple Cox proportional hazard model show that tumor grade, and stage of cancer at presentation are jointly significantly associated with survival.ConclusionThe 2- and 5-year survival are within the norms compared to other countries. Significant clinical and pathological prognostic factors associated with survival were tumor grade, and the stage of cancer at presentation.
Highlights
Breast cancer is a significant global public health concern, since it is the most common cancer among women [1]
The majority of patients presented to the hospital with grade II or III, 24% with at least stage 3 and 9.2% had metastasis
The 2-year and 5-year survivals were estimated to 97% and 89% respectively
Summary
Breast cancer is a significant global public health concern, since it is the most common cancer among women [1]. The 5-year survival rate in developed countries such as USA and UK was in the range of 85–90% between the years 2017–2019 [2, 3]. Many improvements have been made in the last 20 years in the management of breast cancer due to the identification of prognostic factors capable of providing information on the progression of the disease. These prognostic markers are usually indicators of growth, invasion, and metastatic potential [7].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
