Referral and disease patterns of patients treated at the Nicosia General Hospital Breast Centre

Abstract Background Cyprus has one of the lowest mortality rates from breast cancer in Europe. The reasons behind this have not been investigated but it is speculated that the ease of access to Breast Centers in combination with an increased public awareness play a role. The aim of this study was to investigate referral and disease presentation patterns of patients treated at the Nicosia General Hospital (NGH) Breast Centre and define opportunities for effective public health interventions. Methods A retrospective study of all patients (585) with in situ or invasive breast cancer treated at the NGH Breast Centre between February 2017 and November 2023 was conducted. Data on referral sources, symptoms, and cancer stage at the time of diagnosis were analyzed using Stata 18. Results Most patients were referrals from the national population screening program (42.2%), followed by self-referrals (40.6%), and General Practitioner (GP)/or other specialist referrals (17.2%). Half of the patients (50.3%) were asymptomatic at diagnosis. In addition, 8% of the patients diagnosed with invasive breast cancer were Stage I, 65% Stage II, and 27% Stage III. Conclusions Our study provides important insights forming the basis of public health activities for the early detection of breast cancer based on the fact that 20% of newly diagnosed breast cancer cases in Cyprus receive treatment in NGH Breast Center. Although adherence to the national population screening program does not meet desired expectations, a significant proportion of breast cancers were detected via this program highlighting its effectiveness in early detection of asymptomatic cancers. A large proportion of patients were self-referred underlining the high degree of breast cancer awareness in Cyprus but also the media-induced anxiety which leads to early investigations. Key messages • Screening program and breast cancer awareness campaigns are effective in detecting breast cancers early. • These activities should be sustained to further reduce breast cancer mortality rate.