Clinical and mammographic profile of patients with breast cancer surgically treated.

OBJECTIVE: to analyze the epidemiological, clinical and mammographic profile of women with breast cancer who were treated at the mastology clinic of the University Hospital of Santa Maria and who underwent breast surgery between January 2007 and December 2012.

METHODS: this was a cross-sectional study, approved by the Ethics in Research Committee. A review of the patients' medical records was performed. The data were then exported to a software program for statistical analysis, namely Minitab 14.1.

RESULTS: the patients' profile indicated that they were mostly born and raised in Santa Maria (respectively 11.1%, n=16, and 26.3%, n=68). They were about 55.6 years old (SD ± 12.3), white (90.2%, n=213), had already given birth and breastfed their children, were nonsmokers, but also overweight (average BMI of 27 kg/m2). On physical examination of the first medical consultation, these patients, as described in the records: had a palpable mass (81.1%, n=184) measuring over three centimeters, located in the left breast, precisely in the upper outer quadrant (41.4%, n=81). Mammography (39%, n=109) showed that this lump was classified as BIRADS ® 5 (40%, n=81). On histopathological examination, the lump was diagnosed as an invasive ductal cancer (71.1%, n=191). Surgery was generally a radical mastectomy (84.7%, n=236) with axillary dissection (92.5%, n=222).

CONCLUSION: some of the epidemiological, clinical and mammographic features mentioned above resembled those found in the literature reviewed. However, these patients had advanced disease and underwent non conservative surgical procedures.