FREQUENCY OF BREAST DISEASES AT A TERTIARY HOSPITAL OF KARACHI

OBJECTIVE: To see the pattern of breast diseases at our set up. DESIGN: A descriptive study. SETTING: Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi -Pakistan for a period of three years. METHODS: A total of 300 patients attending breast care clinics were evaluated. They were followed up till biopsy. All patients were females between 11-90 years of age. Majority of the patients belonged to the lower socioeconomic group. Data was collected through a specifically designed proforma. RESULTS: Most common presenting complaint was breast lump with other symptoms. Majority presented to the clinician within 6 months of development of lump. Most of the patients were married (69%) and majority (67%) was in the reproductive age while 32% were postmenopausal. Only 1% of the patients were in premenarche age. Most common site was upper and outer quadrant of left breast. Most common breast disease was carcinoma (30%) followed by inflammatory diseases (25%), fibroadenoma (24%) and fibrocystic disease (20%). Only 1% of patients had no disease. Invasive ductal carcinoma NOS was the most common histologic type (51%). CONCLUSION: Breast cancer in this study shows a higher frequency of this disease in Pakistan when compared to the world standards and to the other studies carried out in our country.