Study of evolving trends in the clinicopathological profile of breast cancer patients attending a tertiary cancer center

Abstract

Background: Breast cancer is by far the most frequent cancer in the women of Northeast India, with the possibility of 1 in 83 females developing breast cancer in their lifetime. Manipur presents a similar picture with breast cancer comprising 15.3% of female cancers. With westernization of lifestyle, there has been an increase in the prevalence of risk factors. The present study tries to evaluate the changing trends in the demographic, clinical, and pathological profile of the breast cancer patients presenting to a tertiary cancer center in Northeast India within a time frame of 10 years' gap. Materials and Methods: In this descriptive, retrospective study, the records of histologically confirmed cases of breast cancer managed at the institute a decade apart were analyzed with respect to the various risk factors, stage, histological features, and receptor status. Changes in the trends were recorded. Results: The mean age at presentation was found to be younger in 2015–2017 compared to 2002–2004 (P Conclusion: Within an interval of a decade, there has been a significant change in the clinicopathological profile of the breast cancer patients presenting to the institute. More aggressive patterns of disease have become more common with early age of presentation and aggressive biological behavior of receptor-negative tumors. Thus, we need to have a relook at the strategy to manage breast cancer in the coming future.