The impact of income and education level on the clinical and pathologic characteristics, implementation of clinical breast examination (CBE), and treatment patterns of a small population of Chinese female breast cancer patients was studied in order to provide a theoretical basis and statistical reference for further nationwide research. We included 484 pathologically confirmed female primary breast cancer inpatients of the First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College of Xi'an Jiaotong University from February 2003 to January 2004. All cases were reviewed and relevant information was collected using a designed case report form (CRF). Chi- square tests, rank-sum tests, and Fisher's exact tests were used in the analysis. Our analysis showed that: (1) women in different occupation groups had significant differences in tumor size, pre-operative mammography, surgical options, post-operative estrogen receptor (ER), progestin receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (Her2) status, and post-operative radiotherapy and chemotherapy (P < 0.05); and (2) women with different education levels had statistically significant differences in tumor size, post-operative ER, PR and Her2 status, and post-operative chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and endocrine therapy (P < 0.05). In Xi'an, China, women in low-income occupations or with low education levels are more likely to have advanced tumor stages at presentation, lower implementation rate of clinical breast examination, and less treatment.

Objective To explore the impacts of female patients' occupation on clinicopathological characteristics and treatment patterns of breast cancer in China.Methods We collected 484 breast cancer cases in succession between February 2003 and January 2004 treated in the First Affiliated Hospital,Medical School of Xi'an Jiaotong University.The differences in distribution of variables,including clinicopathological characteristics and treatment patterns between different occupation groups,were examined using Mantel-Haenszel Chi-square tests and rank sum tests to obtain P-values for the test of no-association.Results Various occupation groups differed significantly in such variables such as tumor size,pTNM stage,mammography examination,postoperative ER,PR and Her2 detections,operation mode,and choice of chemotherapy(P<0.05).To be specific,with the increase of occupational income,the tumor stage at diagnosis was earlier,implementation rate of clinical examinations was higher,and acceptance rate of minimally invasive operation and chemotherapy was higher too.Conclusion The more advanced breast cancer is,the lower implementation rate of clinical examinations and more negative attitude towards minimally invasive operation as well as chemotherapy are seen in occupational low-income female population.

OBJECTIVE:To ascertain the epidemiology and clinical characters of female breast cancer patients in Northwest Region in China.METHODS:We analyzed retrospectively the clinicopathologic data of 431female cases with breast cancer in ten years,between 1999and 2008,in the First Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University,locating in the northwest region in China.RESULTS:The media age at diagnosis was(50.5±10.8)years old,with the rate of early stag breast cancer(pathologic stageⅠandⅡ)being 57.5%(248/431),rate of mammography,ultrasound,aspiration cytology,histologic biopsy and infiltrating ductal carcinoma being 25.9%(110/424),12.4%(53/427),8.2%(35/426),15.7%(67/426)and 86.5%(365/422),respectively.The rate of modified radical mastectomy,breast-conserving treatment and sentinel lymph node biopsy was 88.6%(382/431),1.4%(6/431)and 2.1%(9/431),respectively,with the endocrine,radiotherapy,and chemotherapy ratio being 19.0%(82/431),21.4%(92/431)and 58.5%(252/431),respectively.CONCLUSIONS:The status of delayed diagnosis,advanced tumor stages and less auxiliary diagnosis measures northwest region should be improved.Adjuvant therapies,especially radiotherapy and endocrine therapy are of the great unmet needs,with modified radical mastectomy being the first choice of surgical treatment and lower breast-conserving treatment and sentinel lymph node biopsy rate.

目的 探讨不同年龄段乳腺癌患者的临床病理特征.方法 回顾性分析我院10年间、随机月份抽取的484例女性乳腺癌患者的临床病理资料,自21岁开始10年为一组分组并做统计.结果 ①乳腺癌发病年龄高峰为41～50岁；②各年龄组之间T分期差异显著(x2＝16.478,P＝0.006＜0.05),31～40岁组T分期高于41～50岁组(Z＝-3.315,P=0.002＜0.05)和61～70岁组(Z＝-3.104,P＝0.002＜0.05),51～60岁组高于61～70岁组(Z＝2.205,P=0.027＜0.05)和41～50岁组(Z=-1.969,P=0.049＜0.05)；③各年龄组局部浸润程度、病理类型、N分期、M分期差异均无统计学意义(P＞0.05).结论 乳腺癌患者的发病年龄段为41～50岁,年轻组患者具有肿瘤直径较大的趋势,各年龄组肿瘤原发部位、肿瘤象限、局部浸润程度、病理类型、N分期、M分期、pTNM分期相同.