BREAST CANCER IN WOMEN: A DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS OF THE PATIENTS REGISTERED IN HOSPITAL-BASED CANCER REGISTRY OF CENTRAL INDIA

Background: Breast cancer is now the most common cancer worldwide, contributing 12.5% of the total number of new cases diagnosed and approximately 685,000 women died from breast cancer in 2020. The rising trend has been attributed to various lifestyle factors and demographic characteristics, such as the age of menarche, age at rst childbirth, parity, menopause, and family history of malignancy, which have been considered potential risk factors for breast cancer. Objectives: To describe demographics and various risk factors, and to study the proportion of various histopathological types of breast carcinoma and their management. Methods: A cohort follow-up study of 628 patients [registered at Hospital Based Cancer Registry (HBCR) between 2016-2018] between August 2022 to January 2024, using a predesigned and pretested questionnaire by In-depth interview (IDI) either Telephonically or by home visit. Result: Among the 407 traceable breast cancer cases, the mean age was 50.4 ± 11.8 years. Most patients had higher secondary education (26.8%) and were from the upper middle class (36.9%). Most were multiparous (78.1%), with 72.2% having their rst child between 20 and 30 years, and 56.5% experiencing menopause between 45 and 55 years. Visual obesity was common, and 21.4% had a family history of breast cancer. The most frequent diagnosis was TNM stage II (43.7%). Conclusion: Regular breast cancer screening and early detection are crucial, especially for women in their menopausal years. Awareness about reproductive health, obesity, and family history is vital for prevention and timely intervention.