Abstract
BackgroundAdjuvant chemotherapies are recommended for most women after breast cancer surgery, and can greatly affect the patients’ survival. We describe and evaluate possible factors influencing receipt of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy among breast cancer patients in China.MethodsA total of 1,431 women diagnosed with breast cancer from 1997 to 2005 were enrolled. We reviewed medical records and abstracted information about these patients. Details on social-demographic factors and clinical-pathological characteristics of participants were collected and analyzed. To meet our objectives, the patient’s age at diagnosis, comorbidities, menstrual status, rural/urban status, tumor size, lymph node status, distant metastasis, tumor stage and hormone receptor status were estimated.ResultsOverall, 936 of these 1,431 patients (65.41%) received adjuvant chemotherapy. Receipt of chemotherapy was significantly associated with age at diagnosis, rural–urban disparities, and lymph node status of patients, though no significant difference was found between the age <50 and age 50 to 64 groups. Moderate association was also observed between hormone receptor status and receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy, though it was still not statistically significant.ConclusionsOur study suggests that age at diagnosis, rural–urban disparities and lymph node status of breast cancer patients are independent predictors for receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy among married Chinese women. Further investigations are warranted, and related public health education needs to be expanded in China.
Highlights
Adjuvant chemotherapies are recommended for most women after breast cancer surgery, and can greatly affect the patients’ survival
During the period from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2005, a total of 1,431 married women who were diagnosed with invasive breast cancer and who received breast surgery in Qilu Hospital was included in our analyses
Our results showed that receipt of chemotherapy was significantly associated with patient’s age at diagnosis (P = 0.030), with older females receiving less adjuvant chemotherapy
Summary
Adjuvant chemotherapies are recommended for most women after breast cancer surgery, and can greatly affect the patients’ survival. We describe and evaluate possible factors influencing receipt of postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy among breast cancer patients in China. Breast cancer has become the leading cause of cancer death among women in developing countries (for example, China), as well as the most diagnosed malignant tumor [1]. There are multiple strategies for breast cancer treatment, and adjuvant chemotherapy shows great benefit in reducing disease recurrence and improving prognosis for postoperative breast cancer patients [2,3]. Adjuvant chemotherapy is given after initial treatment with surgery, and is considered standard treatment for breast cancer patients [4,5,6]. Several studies have revealed that race, as well as marital status, may impact
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