Risk factors of breast cancer among patients from a lower- and middle-income country: A case-control study from Nepal.

Abstract

e12502 Background: Although breast cancer occurs overwhelmingly in high-income countries, there has been a recent increase in the incidence of breast cancer cases in low and middle-income countries. Reports from hospital-based registries showed that breast cancer is second most common cancer in Nepalese women. The study aimed to find the risk factors associated with breast cancer among breast cancer patients at a tertiary care hospital from Nepal. Methods: An Institutional-based 1:1 unmatched case-control study with a sample of 100 women was conducted at Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Patan Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal, between May to October 2023. Women aged 20-84 years with histologically confirmed breast cancer within the last 4 years of the interview date were identified retrospectively as a study cases. Semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection. Multivariate logistic regression model was used to calculate the adjusted odds ratio with 95%CI. Results: The significantly associated risk factors included age (41-50yrs: OR 5.03, >50 years: OR31.11), marital status (married: OR9.23), age at menarche (13-15 yrs: OR 3.79), and oral contraception use (OC user: OR 4.26). Conclusions: Emphasizing regular breast cancer screening programs above 40 years of age and adequate counselling and awareness about that risks and benefits of hormonal contraception among high-risk groups might help to mitigate the risk of breast cancer.