Cáncer de mama en Chile: Un aporte clínico y epidemiológico según un registro poblacional metropolitano: 1.485 pacientes

Abstract

Analysis of 1,485 women treated for breast cancer in two public hospitals Background: Breast cancer was included as a priority in the Chilean health reform, providing univer- sal and guaranteed access to diagnosis and treatment to all women aged 15 years or more. Aim: To analyze the incidence, staging and survival of breast cancer in a cohort of women. Material and Methods: Retrospective analysis of medical records of women operated for breast cancer between 1994 and 2005 in two public hospitals of Metropolitan Santiago. Incidence rates were calculated using statistical information provided by the Ministry of Health. Results: The clinical records of 1.485 women aged 18 to 99 years (median 55 years), were analyzed. The number of lesions detected in early stages (T1 N0), increased progressively over time. The number of lesions in advanced stages was constant along time, but its proportion decreased progressively. The overall fifteen years survival of operated women was 64%. Survival was significantly better among women without lymph node involvement. The incidence rates of breast cancer increased steadily during the study period. Mortality slightly increased during the nineties but is decreasing during the present decade, reaching a rate of 12.2 per 100.000 women during 2005. Conclussion: In this series of patients, the diagnosis of breast cancer in early stages increased in the last decade, resulting in better survival rates.