Background: Breast Cancer (BC) is the most commonly
diagnosed cancer amongst women worldwide with estimated
incidence rate of 43, 1 per 100,000 and also in Argentine. With
an estimated incidence rate of 71, 2 per 100,000 in 2012 our
country is among the two ones with the high incidence in all
Latin-America where the estimated incidence rate for BC is 47,
2 per 100,000.
Purpose: To describe the clinical and epidemiological
characteristics of presentation of female BC in an attempt to
explain the high incidence for BC despite the geographical
location of the country, South America, a “less developed region”
and with a “medium human development level” according to
WB classification.
Methods: The Collaborative Group for the Study of Female
Breast Cancer in Argentine (www.cancerdemama2012.org.ar)
a consortium of 64 physicians from 75, public (26) and private
(49), health services, reported 1732 case patients studied during
the years 2012-2013. The following parameters were recorded: a)
demographic; b) biological and c) pathological.
Results: a) Median age of 59 years (range: 23-92); 24, 2% with
university studies; 79, 1 % with some kind of health coverage.
b) Median age of menarche 13 years (range 9-21);menopause
present in 72,3% of patients; nulliparous 19,1%; median age at
first full-term pregnancy of 24 (range 14-46); personal antecedent
of breast cancer in 9,8% and familial in 27.9%. c) 30.7% tumors
under 2 cm of diameter ; 3.0% of bilateral synchronous forms;
80.9% of infiltrating forms with predominance of ductal
histological types; 7,5% triple-positive and 10% triple-negative
molecular profile; clinical TNM: stage 0, 7,2% ; I, 34,8% ; IIa ,
22,3%; IIb, 11,8%; IIIa, 8,3%; IIIb, 3,5;IIIc , 2,9% and IV. 2,9%.
Conclusion: Taking into account the main risk factors and clinicpathologic
features this population shows a “western” profile
similar to that observed in developed countries and different
from that observed in the rest of Latin American countries. This
different profile for the geographic region and the development
level of the country could be due to a genetic background of the
population with a strong European influences, mainly in the last
century.