Epidemiology of breast cancer patients at a tertiary care center in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND Breast cancer is the most common cancer in Saudi Arabia. However, detailed published epidemiologic data are scarce. In this study, breast cancer patients at a tertiary care hospital were characterized and compared with data from the United States.

METHODS Medical records were retrospectively reviewed of female patients with confirmed diagnosis of invasive breast cancer who consulted with Saad Specialist Hospital between 2004 and 2011. Descriptive statistics were calculated and compared with published data.

RESULTS Two-hundred and sixty-two female patients with cytologically or histologically confirmed diagnosis of invasive breast cancer were identified and analyzed. Compared to published American data derived from the SEER database, patients were diagnosed at a markedly younger age (<50 years: 57.5% versus 12.5%) and more advanced disease (localized disease: 28.6% versus 61.2%). The difference of the age at diagnosis could not be fully explained by the different age structures of the Saudi Arabian and American population in our analysis. Although the overall mastectomy rate was higher (58.2% versus 38.5%), no relevant difference in the mastectomy rates was found if analyzed by stage.

CONCLUSION Our data suggest that breast cancer in this part of Saudi Arabia is diagnosed at a much higher stage compared to the United States. More effort in awareness campaigns, easier access to screening and treatment are needed to improve the prognosis and to reduce the currently relatively high mastectomy rate.