A CLINICAL STUDY TO IDENTIFY RISK FACTORS OF BREAST CARCINOMA AMONG WOMEN OF KASHMIR ADMITTED IN SHER-I-KASHMIR INSTITUTE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES - A COMMUNITY BASED PROSPECTIVE STUDY

Abstract

 BACKGROUND: Breast cancer disease particularly in women, is a life menacing disease which affects women to the part of her body that is connected to her sense of muliebrity and womanhood. It inculcates feeling of fear and trepidation in women, therefore exposing them to an extensive emotional trauma. Cancer of breast is usually detected as a palpable mass or as a mammographic abnormality, it can also be displayed by many other changes in breast area viz; nipple discharge, breast skin change, breast pain. All women are at risk of breast cancer, with one in eight, developing the disease within their lifetime.The present endeavor is intended to study on epidemiological characteristics of breast cancer patateints attending the leading tertiary health care centre of the valley i.e., S.K.I.M.S

 OBJECTIVE: To study the age of presentation of breast carcinoma among the women of Kashmir at the time of admission in S.K.I.M.S.

To study the demographic trends of breast carcinoma among the women of Kashmir and to work out the areas having the highest incidence of breast cancer in the community of Kashmir.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Step-1: Design of a self-administered questionnaire was developed to capture all the required information (qualitative and quantitative) in consultation with doctors. For easy understanding by the respondents, the entire questionnaire and the consent form was presented in simple and lucid language. The questionnaire was preceded by the consent.

Step-2: pre-testing of questionnaire

Step-3: Data analysis

After pre-testing the questionnaire the data was entered into excel sheet in a structured way. The data analysis was done by using the software SPSS version 17.

 RESULTS: The disease is more prevalent in married females (95.57%) as compared to divorced (0.88%) or unmarried females (3.54%).

Education seems to play a vital role in this disease as 64.65% diseased females were low qualified,

Pregnant females have less frequency (11.50) as compared to non-pregnant females (88.49%).

Menstruation has a direct relation with the disease as 73.45% of the studied population had the disease and were still menstruation, while 24.78% females had permanently stopped and 1.77% population had never menstruated.

The breast feeding females had less prevalence (95.58%) as compared to non-breast feeders (4.42%).

 CONCLUSION: The study results are in accordance with the results of previous investigations on risk factors of Breast Cancer. Breast Cancer is a leading cause of mortality in developing countries like India so raising awareness about the screening procedure and treatment of Breast cancer can help reducing mortality and morbidity.

It is essential that all women who have a positive family history of breast cancer should be screened.. In developing countries, like India, breast cancer causes a heavy toll on the lives of the people and is a leading cause of mortality.. Early detection of breast cancer has a good prognosis. Henceforth, along with health education on screening of breast cancer, the possibility of initiating cost-effective screening measures needs to be emphasized.