Clinicopathological profile, diagnostic and treatment intervals, and outcomes of breast cancer in a SUS-based Brazilian regional cohort (2005–2020)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.29289/2594539420260027Keywords:
breast cancer, prognosis, age groups, public healthAbstract
Introduction: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women worldwide. In Brazil, it is characterized by regional heterogeneity in incidence, stage at diagnosis, and access to treatment. This study aimed to describe the clinicopathological profile, treatments, and common outcomes of breast cancer patients treated at a SUS-based referral center, and to evaluate associations between age at diagnosis and disease stage, tumor characteristics, and outcomes. Methods: Clinical, pathological, treatment, and outcome data were collected from medical records of 300 patients diagnosed with breast carcinoma between the years of 2005 and 2020. Results: 36.4% of patients were younger than 50 years. The initial mode of detection was clinical presentation in 75.7% of cases. Mean tumor size was 28.7 mm (± 19.4). The most common stages were II and I (47.4% and 25.0%, respectively). The median diagnostic interval was 48 days (IQR 34–75.75) and the median treatment interval was 33 days (IQR 25–48.75). Over a median follow-up of 56.0 months, 12 deaths were recorded (274 censored); over a median follow-up of 60.0 months, 35 recurrences were recorded (230 censored). Conclusions: These findings highlight that a substantial proportion of breast cancer cases occurred in women younger than 50 years and support further population-based studies to inform age-specific screening strategies in Brazil. The diagnostic interval exceeded the 30-day target referenced by Brazilian federal legislation. This study provides descriptive, real-world data on the clinicopathological profile and care pathway of breast cancer patients diagnosed and treated within a regional, SUS-based cohort.
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