Breast Disease Research Articles

Microcalcifications in benign breast biopsies: association with lesion type and risk.

To characterize associations of microcalcifications (calcs) with benign breast disease lesion subtypes and assess whether tissue calcs affect risks of ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and invasive breast cancer (IBC). We analyzed detailed histopathologic data for 4,819 BBD biopsies from a single institution cohort (2002-2013) followed for DCIS or IBC for a median of 7.4years for cases (N = 338) and 11.2years for controls. Natural language processing was used to identify biopsies containing calcs based on pathology reports. Univariable and multivariable regression models were applied to assess associations with BBD lesion type and age-adjusted Cox proportional hazard regressions were performed to model risk of IBC or DCIS stratified by the presence or absence of calcs. Calcs were identified in 2063 (42.8%) biopsies. Calcs were associated with older age at BBD diagnosis (56.2 versus 49.0years; P < 0.001). Overall, the risk of developing IBC or DCIS did not differ significantly between patients with calcs (HR 1.13, 95% CI 0.90, 1.41) as compared to patients without calcs. Stratification by BBD severity or subtype, age at BBD biopsy, outcomes of IBC versus DCIS, and mammography technique (screen-film versus full-field digital mammography) did not significantly alter association between calcs and risk. Our analysis of calcs in BBD biopsies did not find a significant association between calcs and risk of breast cancer.

Analysis of PIK3CA mutations in the primary and recurrent tumors of hormone receptor positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative breast cancer.

Our aim was to compare the PIK3CA mutation status in matched primary and recurrent tumors of hormone receptor positive/human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 negative (HR+/HER2-) breast cancer (BC) to gain insight into the optimization of patient selection and detection time for PIK3CA-targeted therapy. The data were from 3035 patients with BC diagnosed at the Breast Disease Center, Peking University First Hospital, between January 2008 and December 2017. Matched primary and recurrent samples were profiled using amplification-refractory mutation system-polymerase chain reaction covering 11 mutational hotspots in PIK3CA. PIK3CA mutations were detected in 54.3% primary tumors and 48.6% corresponding recurrences. PIK3CA mutation was detected in 37.5% cases in the locoregional recurrent group and 40.0% of distant metastasis, without a statistical difference. Besides, PIK3CA mutations were concordant in 88.6% of the matched pairs. For patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 100% concordance was observed. However, PIK3CA mutation was neither correlated with clinicopathological features nor associated with clinical outcomes. Mutations in PIK3CA in HR+/HER2- BC generally progressed to recurrent tumors. The high concordance rate of PIK3CA mutation status between primary tumors and corresponding recurrences suggests that the detection of primary tumors could be a substitute approach when recurrent samples are not easily obtainable.

Mutation Spectrum Comparison between Benign Breast Lesion Cohort, Unselected Cancer Cohort and High-Risk Breast Cancer Cohort.

Mutation study for high-risk breast and ovarian cancer (HBOC) has been extensively studied in patients of different ethnicities. Here we compared the germline mutation rate and mutation spectrum of patients (n = 4341) with benign breast diseases or breast cancers, with and without other risk factors. Three cohorts of Chinese patients were recruited. The first cohort, high-risk cohort (HR, n = 3935) included high-risk breast cancer patients fulfilling high-risk HBOC criteria and who are recruited at our genetics clinic. The second cohort, unselected cancer cohort (CC, n = 307) was from general recruitment of patients with breast cancer at breast surgery clinics. The third cohort, benign breast lesion cohort (NC, n = 99) comprised 99 patients with benign breast diseases such as fibroadenoma, fibroadenomatoid hyperplasia, and intraductal papilloma. Thirty HBOC related genes were sequenced on the above-mentioned patient cohorts. The germline mutation rates of HR, CC, and NC cohort were 11.9%, 6.5%, and 8.1%, respectively. In the CC cohort, 29.3% (90/307) of patients fulfilled the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) high-risk genetic test criteria 2022 v.2. The mutation rate for this group of patients was 11.1%, similar to that of the HR cohort, while the mutation rate for those not fulfilling testing criteria was 4.6%, like that of the NC cohort. High penetrance genes (BRCA1/2, CDH1, PALB2, PTEN, and TP53) mutations were only found in the HR (10.6%) and CC (3.3%) cohorts but were not found in the NC cohort. ATM, BRIP1, RAD51C, and RAD51D mutations were identified in all cohorts. RAD51C and RAD51D mutations showed conflicting penetrance. An unexpectedly high mutation rate of total 2% was found in the NC cohort but it was only 0.3% and 0.5% in the HR cohort and CC cohort, respectively. Our results show a clinical need to enhance genetic testing of unselected breast cancer patients to identify the high-risk patients.

Does Hepatic Metastasectomy for Breast Cancer Oligo-Metastasis to the Liver Offer Survival Advantage? Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Abstract Background: The impact of liver resection on survival in patients with hepatic metastasis from breast cancer has remained a controversial topic, with multiple studies reporting conflicting results. Objective: We perform this meta-analysis comparing metastasectomy to systemic therapy in terms of survival outcomes in cases of hepatic oligo-metastasis from breast cancer. Materials and Methods: A systematic search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library was conducted for relevant studies. The search terms used included “Breast Neoplasms,” “Liver,” hepatic” “Metastasis” “Hepatectomy,” “Metastasectomy” “resection,” and “surgery.” The primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Only studies published in English and studies that compared OS between patients that had metastasectomy and those that received systemic therapy were included. Results: Thirteen studies were included in the meta-analysis. The one year overall survival of patients who had surgery is superior to those who received systemic therapy only, with a risk ratio (RR) of 7.59 and P value of &lt;0.00001. There is also a superior overall survival at 3 years after metastasectomy when compared with patients that received systematic therapy (RR = 2.83, P = 0.005). Five years is also superior, with RR of 2.78 and P value of 0.005. Conclusion: Hepatic metastasectomy in combination with systemic therapy is superior to systemic therapy alone in patients with breast cancer and oligo-metastasis of the liver.

Carbon Nanotubes an Excellent Targeted Drug Delivery System

Carbon nanotubes, or CNTs, are carbon allotropes with a nanostructure that can have a length-to-breadth proportion more prominent than 1,000,000. These round and hollow carbon particles have exceptional properties that make them possibly helpful in an assortment of nanotechnology applications. CNTs might be joined with a scope of natural components, including proteins, drugs, and nucleic acids, to give bio-functionalities. CNTs come in two assortments: multi-walled (MWNTs) and single-walled (SWNTs). Among its captivating properties are its high viewpoint proportion, strength, lightweight weight, high warm conductivity, and electrical attributes that reach from metallic to semiconducting. Carbon nanotubes might be made by various cycles, including warm blend, substance fume statement, laser removal, circular segment release dissipation, plasma-based union, and synthetic fume affidavit increased by plasma. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) track down use in drug conveyance, blood malignant growth, bosom disease, cerebrum malignant growth, liver malignant growth, cervical malignant growth, quality treatment, resistant therapy, biomedical imaging, biosensors, and tissue designing. The noncovalent functionalization of specific MNTs with folic corrosive (FA) worked on the vehicle of medication to malignant growth cells in the lymph hubs. By utilizing a remotely introduced magnet to guide the medication lattice to the provincial designated lymph hubs, the MNTs can ceaselessly deliver chemotherapeutic medications for a few days while remaining in the depleting designated lymph hubs. Growth cells communicating folate receptors (FRs) in the lymph hubs can be explicitly obliterated since FRs are overexpressed in different human malignancies.

Effects of Left Internal Mammary Artery (LIMA) Harvesting During Coronary Artery By-Pass Grafting Surgery on Benign Breast Diseases

Introduction: Coronary artery bypass surgery of the primary conduits employed in coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (CABG) is the left internal mammary artery (LIMA), which has garnered considerable attention due to its favorable characteristics and outcomes. There are not enough studies examining the relationship between benign breast diseases (BBD) and LIMA removal. This study is one of the pioneering studies investigating the effects of LIMA removal after bypass surgery in patients with benign breast diseases. This study aims to evaluate the effect of LIMA removal on benign breast diseases in female patients undergoing bypass surgery by analyzing pre- and post-operative breast imaging. Material and Methods: A total of 47 of 452 female patients who underwent bypass surgery between February 18, 2019, and December 31, 2021, were included in the study. All patients’ LIMA were harvested and evaluated, regarding any progression of benign breast diseases. Results: There was a significant difference between the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) classes of the patients before and after CABG (p

Breast Health Perceptions and Screening Behaviors Among Myanmar American Immigrant Women.

To understand and describe attitudes toward general health checkups, breast health knowledge, cultural beliefs, and health-promoting behaviors among Myanmar American immigrant women in the United States. 267 women participated in the study. 10 women were excluded because of missing data, so the total sample size was 257 participants. A descriptive, cross-sectional survey design was used to describe and investigate breast health perceptions and behaviors. Nearly 75% of the study sample reported having negative attitudes toward general health checkups and were found to have less accurate breast health knowledge and more fatalistic views about breast cancer. Only 29% of older women adhered to mammogram recommendations. Younger women reported more barriers to mammograms, and older women reported fewer barriers to mammograms. This study demonstrated the need for additional research focusing on unique perspectives when investigating breast health practices among Myanmar American immigrant women. The findings highlight the essential need to build a strong partnership with stakeholders to combat breast health disparities and address the complex nature of acculturation.

Examining stigma in experiences of male breast cancer patients and its impact as a barrier to care: a narrative review.

Male breast cancer (MBC) accounts for nearly one percent of all diagnosed breast cancer (BC). In the United States alone, there were 2,670 MBC reported cases and 500 fatalities in 2019. In addition to the general challenges faced by patients to diagnose and treat cancer, MBC patients experience stigma from the medical community and their own feelings of embarrassment. The presence of stigma has a negative impact on the quality of life and psychological outcomes of MBC patients. This narrative review investigates current research on the presence of stigma in the diagnosis and care of MBC patients, and the role of stigma as a barrier to care. Current literature on MBC and stigma was found through a search of PubMed and Google Scholar. The search strategy consisted of keywords related to "male breast cancer, stigma, awareness, experiences, and social support". Studies published from January 2005 to April 2024, that were retrievable and written in English, were included in this review. Several studies have supported that MBC patients experience stigma due to the lack of awareness in the medical community, and feelings of embarrassment felt by the patients. This stigma is seen through insufficient guidelines on MBC diagnosis and treatment and a lack of male-specific information for BC. These topics of stigma act as barriers to care, as they lead to psychological distress (e.g., anxiety and depression) and delayed diagnoses. Current studies suggest addressing the lack of information and awareness of MBC and implementing screening procedures to mitigate the negative impact of stigma. This review highlights the presence of stigma in the care of MBC patients and its distressing effects on patients. There is a need for increased awareness among the medical community to improve diagnosis and treatment of MBC patients, to allow for more equitable care. Future therapies should focus on the viability of routine screening programs for male patients and addressing the gap of male-specific information.

Perceptions of delayed alopecia among breast cancer survivors

BackgroundRetrospective studies suggest that some breast cancer survivors report treatment-associated hair loss or thinning years after their diagnosis. This study investigates frequency and perceptions of alopecia persisting 6 years after patients’ breast cancer diagnoses. MethodsBreast cancer survivors participating in the Mayo Clinic Breast Disease Registry (MCBDR) were mailed a survey 6 years after diagnosis. They were asked about their degree of bother from hair thinning and hair loss and mental health was explored. ResultsA total of 969 of 1476 participants (65.7%) responded to the survey. Of these, 755 patients were eligible for inclusion and had stage I-III breast cancer. Respondents' median age was 65.6 years (35-95 years). Chemotherapy (± endocrine therapy) was administered to 216 (29%) participants, and 342 (45%) received only endocrine therapy. Nearly half (345, 46%) of respondents reported hair loss and over half (431, 57%) reported hair thinning. Moderate to extreme bother from hair loss was reported by 27% of chemotherapy recipients, by 18% of endocrine therapy only recipients, and by 14% of patients who received neither. Moderate to extreme bother from hair thinning was reported by 31% of chemotherapy recipients, by 21% of endocrine therapy-only recipients, and by 19% of those who had received neither. Hair growth product usage was reported by 31% of chemotherapy recipients and 14% of endocrine therapy-only recipients. ConclusionsHair loss and thinning are frequently reported as persistently bothersome symptoms by breast cancer survivors. Future investigations into the incidence, predictors, and treatment of therapy-associated alopecia are needed.Micro Abstract: Chronic alopecia related to breast cancer treatment is a distressing symptom. In our cohort study of breast cancer survivors 6 years after diagnosis, 46% reported hair loss and 57% reported hair thinning. Moderate to extreme bother from hair loss and thinning was common, especially post-chemotherapy, and 19% of respondents used hair regrowth products. These findings emphasize the need for addressing persistent treatment-associated alopecia.

Analysis of breast health outcomes in women on oral 5-alpha reductase inhibitors: A single-center retrospective cohort study

Analysis of breast health outcomes in women on oral 5-alpha reductase inhibitors: A single-center retrospective cohort study

Culture, community, and cancer: Understandings of breast cancer from a non-lived experience among women living in Soweto.

Individual perceptions compounded with socio-cultural beliefs and health system factors are key determinants of people's health seeking behavior and are widely cited as the causes of delayed breast cancer diagnosis among women from structurally vulnerable settings. Asking: "how do women with a non-lived experience of cancer understand the disease and, what informs their health seeking behaviors?", we explored individual, sociocultural and health system elements from a conceptual model derived from the Socioecological, Health Belief and Cancer Stigma Frameworks, to understand perspectives of breast cancer in a South African urban community setting. Using a deductive approach, we conducted a qualitative study consisting of 6 focus group discussions among 34 women from Soweto, Johannesburg (aged 35-74 years) and followed-up with 20 semi-structured in-depth interviews. Findings revealed some awareness of breast and other cancers, but confusion and gaps in understanding of the disease, resulting in socio-culturally influenced misperceptions of risks, causes, and outcomes following treatment of breast cancer. This fueled perceptions of profound fear and stigma against people with breast and other cancers. These findings together with participant perceptions of primary healthcare providers being unwelcoming, under-resourced, and insufficiently trained to deal with breast cancer, resulted in women reporting being reluctant to participating in screening/early detection care seeking behavior. They only accessed primary care when experiencing extreme pain or ill-health. Participants suggested as solutions for future interventions, the need for sustained community engagement, harnessing existing clinic and community stakeholders and resources to provide clear and understandable breast cancer information and encouragement for screening uptake. Health literacy gaps surrounding breast cancer fuels socio-culturally influenced misperceptions, fear, stigma, and fatalism among community women from Soweto, South Africa. Women perceive primary care providers of having insufficient knowledge, skills, and resources to provide effective breast cancer screening services. Participants suggested the need for greater community engagement involving primary clinics and existing community stakeholders working hand in hand. Clear, understandable, and consistent information about breast cancer must be regularly disseminated and communities must be regularly encouraged to utilise breast cancer screening services.

Aftercare following second trimester abortion procedures.

The purpose of this review is to examine patient experiences following second-trimester abortion care to identify clinical interventions to improve aftercare. Early validation of a five-question Reproductive Grief Screen suggests that this instrument may be useful for clinicians to identify patients with maladaptive grief responses following a second-trimester abortion. Patients want to talk with their healthcare providers about grief following abortion and desire frequent mental health check-ins. Most people will have breast symptoms following a second-trimester abortion; a one-time dose of cabergoline at time of abortion appears to be an effective intervention to prevent bothersome breast symptoms. As patient desires vary regarding disposition of fetal remains, clinicians should be prepared to discuss donation for research or cremation/ burial as alternatives to routine disposal. With significant variation in availability and cost of ceremonial disposition, clinicians and healthcare systems should identify local resources to facilitate this aspect of aftercare. Clinical practices and healthcare systems should prioritize the aftercare experience including the management of breast symptoms, bereavement, disposition of fetal remains, and follow-up care.

Endogenous osteoprotegerin (OPG) represses ERα and promotes stemness and chemoresistance in breast cancer cells

Breast cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer and the leading cause of death among women worldwide. The osteoprotegerin (OPG) cytokine, a decoy receptor for RANKL and a key player in bone homeostasis, has pro-and anti-carcinogenic effects in various types of cancer, including breast neoplasms. In the present study, we have shown that ectopic expression of OPG in breast epithelial/cancer cells promotes the pro-metastatic processes epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT), stemness, angiogenesis as well as the activation of breast stromal fibroblasts. Furthermore, proteomics analysis, which allows the identification and quantification of a plethora of known and unknown proteins, has shown a strong and significant correlation between OPG upregulation and the expression of proteins with functions in EMT and stemness. On the other hand, OPG knockdown in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells inhibited the formation of cancer stem cells. Importantly, while OPG upregulation significantly enhanced the resistance of luminal BC cells to cisplatin and docetaxel, OPG downregulation sensitized TNBC cells to these chemotherapeutic drugs. We have also shown that OPG negatively controls estrogen receptor α (ERα), and OPG upregulation correlated well with the expression of genes related to ER-negative claudin low cells. Collectively, these results show that OPG promotes stemness and the consequent chemoresistance of breast cancer cells.

Incorrect and Sex-Inconsistent Mapping of Disorders: Identification of Sex Biases in the ICD-10, ICD-11 and SNOMED CT and How to Work Around Them.

In the international classifications ICD-10-WHO and ICD-11-WHO, many sex-specific diseases have incomplete coding. It is possible to further enhance semantic interoperability using SNOMED CT additionally to ICD. Part of the analysis of semantic interoperability of diagnoses in the ICD are Sexual Dysfunctions, Postpartum Depression, Sexual Assault, Premenstrual Tension Syndrome and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder, Female Genital Mutilation and Cutting, Gender Incongruence and Disorders of Breast. Labeling biases have been identified in all diagnoses, either in SNOMED CT or ICD. For mental disorders associated with pregnancy, gender incongruence and sexual violence the use of the GPS of SNOMED CT can help enhance semantic interoperability additionally to ICD.

Network medicine based approach for identifying the type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis and triple negative breast cancer interactome: Finding the hub of hub genes

The increasing prevalence of multi-morbidities, particularly the incidence of breast cancer in diabetic/osteoarthritic patients emphasize on the need for exploring the underlying molecular mechanisms resulting in carcinogenesis. To address this, present study employed a systems biology approach to identify switch genes pivotal to the crosstalk between diseased states resulting in multi-morbid conditions. Hub genes previously reported for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), osteoarthritis (OA), and triple negative breast cancer (TNBC), were extracted from published literature and fed into an integrated bioinformatics analyses pipeline. Thirty-one hub genes common to all three diseases were identified. Functional enrichment analyses showed these were mainly enriched for immune and metabolism associated terms including advanced glycation end products (AGE) pathways, cancer pathways, particularly breast neoplasm, immune system signalling and adipose tissue. The T2DM-OA-TNBC interactome was subjected to protein-protein interaction network analyses to identify meta hub/clustered genes. These were prioritized and wired into a three disease signalling map presenting the enriched molecular crosstalk on T2DM-OA-TNBC axes to gain insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying disease-disease interactions. Deciphering the molecular bases for the intertwined metabolic and immune states may potentiate the discovery of biomarkers critical for identifying and targeting the immuno-metabolic origin of disease.

Promoting Standardization of Clinical Evidence With Severity-Guided Treatments for Idiopathic Granulomatous Mastitis: A Narrative Review.

Idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM) is a benign disease of the breast which causes a great deal of discomfort for patients. More comparable data and greater consensus in treatment are needed to better understand the disease and help with evidence-based clinical decision making. This narrative review aims to discuss the literature available on IGM and illustrate the need for consensus on treatment. We highlight the existing severity scores for this disease in the literature and discuss the value of severity-guided treatment. In our review, 81 studies out of 319 reviewed publications met established criteria. With the selected results from our search results, the available research on IGM etiology, risk factors, diagnosis, and treatment is summarized with an emphasis on the existing severity scores. A total of four proposed severity scores were found in our review. Consensus on the treatment of IGM must be established. There are varying severity scores on IGM severity. We suggest using an established standardized severity score to guide treatment and recommend one such score.

Cytokine levels in breast cancer are highly dependent on cytomegalovirus (CMV) status.

Breast cancer accounts for 30% of all female cancers in the US. Cytomegalovirus (CMV), a herpesvirus that establishes lifelong infection, may play a role in breast cancer. CMV is not oncogenic, yet viral DNA and proteins have been detected in breast tumors, indicating possible contribution to tumor development. CMV encodes cmvIL-10, a homolog of human cellular IL-10 (cIL-10) with potent immunosuppressive activities. We investigated the relationship between CMV infection, cytokines, and breast cancer. We evaluated CMV serostatus and cytokine levels in plasma of women with benign breast disease (n = 38), in situ carcinoma (n = 41), invasive carcinoma, no lymph node involvement (Inv/LN-; n = 41), and invasive with lymph node involvement (Inv/LN+; n = 37). Fifty percent of the patient samples (n = 79) were CMV seropositive. There was no correlation between CMV status and diagnosis (p = 0.75). For CMV+ patients, there was a trend toward higher CMV IgG levels in invasive disease (p = 0.172). CmvIL-10 levels were higher in CMV+ in situ patients compared to the Inv/LN- and Inv/LN+ groups (p = 0.020). Similarly, cIL-10 levels were higher in CMV+ in situ patients compared to the Inv/LN- and Inv/LN+ groups (p = 0.043). The results were quite different in CMV- patients where cIL-10 levels were highest in Inv/LN- compared to benign, in situ, or Inv/LN+ (p = 0.019). African American patients were significantly associated with CMV+ status (p = 0.001) and had lower cmvIL-10 levels than Caucasian patients (p = 0.046). No association was observed between CMV IgG and diagnosis, but CMV infection influences cytokine production and contributes to altered cytokine profiles in breast cancer.

Trends and Reasons of Referral of Benign Breast Disease Patients in a Tertiary Hospital in India

Trends and Reasons of Referral of Benign Breast Disease Patients in a Tertiary Hospital in India

Patients' perceptions of targeted breast ultrasound and digital breast tomosynthesis in the diagnostic setting: A mixed methods study.

Although DBT is the standard initial imaging modality for women with focal breast symptoms, the importance of ultrasound has grown rapidly in the past decades. Therefore, the Breast UltraSound Trial (BUST) focused on assessing the diagnostic value of ultrasound and digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) for the evaluation of breast symptoms by reversing the order of breast imaging; first performing ultrasound followed by DBT. This side-study of the BUST evaluates patients' perceptions of ultrasound and DBT in a reversed setting. After imaging, 1181/1276 BUST participants completed a survey consisting of open and closed questions regarding both exams (mean age 47.2, ±11.74). Additionally, a different subset of BUST participants (n = 29) participated in six focus group interviews 18-24 months after imaging to analyze their imaging experiences in depth. A total of 55.3% of women reported reluctance to undergoing DBT, primarily due of pain, while the vast majority also find bilateral DBT reassuring (87.3%). Thematic analysis identified themes related to 1) imaging reluctance (pain/burden, result, and breast harm) and 2) ultrasound and DBT perceptions. Regarding the latter, the theme comfort underscores DBT as burdensome and painful, while ultrasound is largely perceived as non-burdensome. Ultrasound is also particularly valued for its interactive nature, as highlighted in the theme interaction. Perceived effectiveness reflects women's interest in bilateral breast evaluation with DBT and the visibility of lesions, while they express more uncertainty about the reliability of ultrasound. Emotional impact portrays DBT as reassuring for many women, whereas opinions on the reassurance provided by ultrasound are more diverse. Additional themes include costs, protocols and privacy. Ultrasound is highly tolerated, and particularly valued is the interaction with the radiologist. Nearly half of women express reluctance towards DBT; nevertheless, a large portion report feeling more confident after undergoing bilateral DBT, reassuring them of the absence of abnormalities. Understanding patients' perceptions of breast imaging examinations is of great value when optimizing diagnostic pathways.

Comparison of the differential effect of participation in breast cancer screening program versus opportunistic screening or symptomatic detection on tumour characteristics.

The success of a breast cancer screening program is highly dependent on adherence. We aimed to compare the differential effect of participation in breast cancer screening program versus opportunistic screening or symptomatic detection on tumour characteristics. We included women referred to our Breast Centre in 2015-2021: 321 from the breast cancer screening group (group 1) and 422 through opportunistic screening or due to symptomatic detection (group 2). We compared data on sociodemographics, breast cancer detection, clinical features and tumour characteristics. A total of 10.6% of women in group 1 had breast symptoms and 63.8% had breast signs, with group 2 presenting higher proportions (57.6 and 77.8%, respectively, P < 0.001). The median tumour size in group 1 was smaller compared with group 2 (14 vs 17 mm, P < 0.001). A total of 8.7% of women in group 1 had nodal involvement whereas in group 2 the proportion corresponded to 19.0% (P < 0.001). No women in group 1 were diagnosed with metastasis, while metastases were found in 2.4% of those from group 2 (P = 0.005). There were no significant differences in molecular subtype of invasive tumours between the two groups. The tumour characteristics of women who participated in the breast cancer screening program showed in almost all characteristics more favourable results in comparison with the group who underwent opportunistic screening or sought care due to symptoms. The lower clinical stage observed in those referred from the organised program reaffirms that it is an effective measure for early detection, diagnosis, and treatment.