SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF FEMALE PATIENTS WITH METASTATIC BREAST CANCER IN TRANSITIONAL ALBANIA

Abstract

Background : The aim of this study was to describe the socio-demographic factors of patients diagnosed with breast cancer with metastases in different sites among women in Albania, a transitional country in Southeastern Europe. Methods : A case-series study was conducted in Tirana during the period January 2010 – September 2017 including 110 female patients diagnosed with breast cancer with metastases in different sites at the Oncology Service of the University Hospital Center “Mother Teresa” in Tirana, the Albanian capital city. Of these, 57 (51.8%) patients had evidence of hepatic metastases, whereas the reaming 53 (48.2%) patients had metastases in the bones and/or in the lungs. A wide array of socio-demographic information was collected for all study participants. Results : The overall mean age of women included in this study was 57.1±11.9 years. Upon multivariable adjustment for all socio-demographic characteristics, the odds of being born and/or residing in other districts of Albania rather than in Tirana and the odds of residing in rural areas of Albania were significantly higher in patients with metastases in the bones and/or in the lungs compared with their counterparts with hepatic metastases. Conclusion : This report provides valuable information about the distribution of socio-demographic characteristics in Albanian female patients diagnosed with breast cancer with metastases in different sites. Health professionals and policymakers in Albania should be aware of the increasing trend of different types of tumors including breast cancer among women. Keywords: Albania, bone metastases, breast cancer, hepatic metastases, lung metastases, oncology, tumors.