Epidemiological study of breast cancer in Tabriz (2006-2009)

  Background: Breast cancer is one of the important epidemiological problems worldwide and is the most common cancer among women. Statistics indicate that the breast cancer was significantly increased from1940.   Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the epidemiology of breast cancer in Tabriz.   Methods: In this epidemiological study, hospital and pathological documents of all patients admitted in Tabriz Hospitals were evaluated from March 2006 to September 2009. Patients with diagnosis of breast cancer were enrolled in the study. Data were analyzed by Chi-square and T-test using the statistical software SPSS-14.   Findings: The results showed 1126 cases of breast cancer with a mean age of 47.13 ± 2.93 years (14- 92 years old). 1094 cases (97.15%) were female and 32 cases (2.75%) were male. Of the 1126 cases, 38.83% were in the left breast, 31.91% were in the right breast and 2.67% were bilateral. 33.26% of patients were in stage 1, 34.25% were in stage 2 and 7.9% were in stage 3.   Conclusion: With regard to the results, t he highest prevalence of the breast cancer was among 46-50 years old women which was different from American, British, Golestan - Iran women and Kurdish women in northern Iraq.