STAGE AT DIAGNOSIS AND SURVIVAL RATE OF BREAST CANCER AND LYMPHOMA: A FOLLOW UP STUDY

• Main Author: Jawad K Al-Hassan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: university of basrah 2006-06-01
• Series: Basrah Journal of Surgery
• Online Access: https://bjsrg.uobasrah.edu.iq/article_55328_c9cf68628bcec88f593e0e58b1b5bbbf.pdf

Staging of cancer will lead to better treatment decisions. Analyses of cancer survival data are commonly used to assess cancer treatment and to monitor the progress of cancer control programs. In Basrah, there is a need to study the cancer survival rates and to evaluate the case management in Basrah Oncology Center. A follow up study was designed, and all of the cases of breast cancer or lymphoma that attended Al-Sadar Teaching Hospital for chemotherapy during the period from September 2001 to September 2002 were included in the study. The cases then were followed up for one and three years following diagnosis. The study started with 480 cases; 175 cases of lymphoma and 305 of breast cancer. At the time of study, 45.7% of lymphoma cases and 16.7% of breast cancer were none-staged. 33% of lymphomas and 45% of breast cancers were diagnosed at advanced stages; most of them (84.1%) were of low family income. The study also found that 42.1% of lymphoma and 57.1% of breast cancer patients survived after one year of diagnosis, while 32.6% of lymphoma patients and 40.5% of breast cancer patients were still alive after three years of diagnosis. The suggestion is that cancer in Basrah is diagnosed at too late stages with low survival rates. So that screening programs and management of cancer in Basrah needs re-evaluation.