Breast Cancer: Current Research
Open Access

Abstract

Background: A number of studies have been carried out worldwide to find out prognostic and predictive significance of different clinicopathological and molecular variables interms of overall survival in breast cancer. No such study has been carried out initially in Pakistan. This study was carried out at Atomic Energy Cancer Hospital NORI Islamabad to find out the impact of age, menopausal status, recepto status, tumor size and lymph node involvement on overall survival of breast cancer patients coming from Northern Pakistan. Material & Methods: This observational retrospective study was carried out in the Oncology Department of NORI Hospital. A total of 2,666 patients were included. Data were entered into SPSS 20. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was performed to determine associations of different variables with overall survival. P values <0.05 were considered significant. Results: The mean age of the patients studied was 47.6 years, 49.5% being postmenopausal. One thousand seven hundred and eight (1,708) were ER positive and 1,615 were PR positive, while Her 2 neu oncogene positivity was found in 683. A total of 1,237 presented with skin involvement and 426 had chest wall involvement. 1663 had more than 5 cm tumors. Lymph node involvement was detected in 2,131. Overall survival was less than 5 years in 669 patients, only 324 surviving for more than 10 years, and in the remainder overall survival was in the range of 5-10 years. Conclusions: Tumor size, lymph node metastases, receptor status, her 2 neu positivity, skin involvement, and chest wall involvement have significant effects whereas age and menopausal status have no significant effect on overall survival of breast cancer patients in Pakistan.

Biography

Humera Mahmood joined Atomic Energy Cancer Hospital NORI in 1994. She was first female FCPS in Oncology in Pakistan in 1998. She was Faculty Member, Supervisor and Examiner of College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan for FCPS in Clinical Oncology since 2000. She was Board of Studies Member of PIEAS for MSc in Radiation and Medical Oncology, Trained a number of doctors who are serving not only in Pakistan but abroad as well. She is the Incharge of Research Training and Monitoring Cell and Cancer Awareness Program at NORI: regularly organizing a number of Cancer Awareness Programs for general public as well as Doctors. A number of international publications is on her name in well reputed journals with an impact factor of more than 70 and is a member of Editorial Review Boards of number of journals. She is the Vice President of Pakistan Society of Clinical Oncology.