Breast cancer constitutes about one fourth of the registered cancer cases among the Iraqi population (1)
and it is the leading cause of death among Iraqi women (2)
. Each year more women are exposed to the vicious
ramifications of this disease which include death if left unmanaged or the negative sequels that they would
experience, cosmetically and psychologically, after exposure to radical mastectomy.
The World Health Organization (WHO) documented that early detection and screening, when coped
with adequate therapy, could offer a reduction in breast cancer mortality; displaying that the low survival rates
in less developed countries, including Iraq, is mainly attributed to the lack of early detection programs coupled
with inadequate diagnostic and treatment facilities (3)
. Although mammography machines, as main screening
tools for breast cancer, are available in the major hospitals in each province in Iraq, yet those are mainly used
for diagnostic purposes in patients who present with palpable breast lumps. Obviously, due to cost effective
measures, lack of resources and the economical challenges that Iraq is facing, it is not expected that the
authorities could provide mammography devices across every health care centre in the country to be used for
screening of all Iraqi women.
Accordingly, promoting other feasible tools could support in solving that dilemma. Clinical Breast
Examination (CBE) for women, by highly trained health care providers in Primary Health Care Centers, along
with diagnostic mammography in the major hospitals for referred cases, could offer cost effective approaches
for early detection of breast cancer in Iraq. The resources required to provide these services are within the
reach of all countries with limited resources
(4)
.
The issue of raising awareness on breast cancer and its early detection measures needs to be addressed.
Observations reported in Iraqi studies obviously reflect the the limited knowledge of the general population
about the disease, its preventive measures and their ignorance regarding the significance of CBE and early
medical consultation (5, 6)
. Public health awareness campaigns should be endorsed by policy makers to encourage every Iraqi women to look for abnormal signs and symptoms in their breasts and to seek medical
advice promptly.
Background: Breast Cancer is the most common malignancy among the Iraqi population; the majority of cases are still diagnosed at advanced stages with poor prospects of cure. Early detection through promoting public awareness is one of the promising tools in its control. Objectives: To evaluate the baseline needs for breast cancer awareness in Iraq through exploring level of knowledge, beliefs and behavior towards the disease and highlighting barriers to screening among a sample of Iraqi women complaining of breast cancer. Methodology: Two-hundred samples were enrolled in this study; gathered from the National
Background: Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women worldwide and organized national mammographic screening has been adopted as gold standard for breast cancer early detection in most developed countries in the world.
Objectives: to evaluate and emphasize the performance of the initiative opportunistic breast cancer screening program in Iraq and to determine the incident malignancy rate of breast cancer among asymptomatic self-referring women aged 40 years or older via digital mammography by mean of the breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS©).
Patients and methods: this retrospective study included a total of 809 asymptomatic self-referring women over age 40 years, mostly consisted of employees o
(1)
Background: One of the strongest risk factors for breast cancer is high breast density, relatively little fat in the breast and more connective and glandular tissue.
Objectives: this study aims to measure risk of increase breast density in correlation of CA breast & compare our results with results in other population, to compare the performance of ultrasonography and mammography in measuring breast density according to BIRDS system
Materials &methods: The study included 45 females .Measuring risk of increase breast density in correlation of CA breast & comparing the performance of ultrasonography and mammography in measuring breast density according to BIRADS system.
Results : there is stron
Objective(s): To determine the impact of psychological distress in women upon coping with breast cancer.
Methodology: A descriptive design is carried throughout the present study. Convenient sample of (60) woman with breast cancer is recruited from the community. Two instruments, psychological distress scale and coping scale are developed for the study. Internal consistency reliability and content validity are obtained for the study instruments. Data are collect through the application of the study instruments. Data are analyzed through the use of descriptive statistical data analysis approach and inferential statistical data analysis approach.
Results: The study findings depict that women with breast cancer have experien
... Show MoreThis study evaluated the knowledge and practice of breast self-examination (BSE), among a sample of educated Iraqi women. The study sample comprised 858 women aged 18–62 years affiliated to 6 major Iraqi universities, categorized according to occupation as teaching staff (11.5%), administrative staff (18.0%) and students (70.5%). Data were collected by a self-completed questionnaire. In all, 93.9% of the women had heard about BSE, the main source of information was television (39.9%), doctors (18.4%) and the awareness campaign of the Iraqi National Breast Cancer Research Programme (11.6%). Only 53.9% of the women practised BSE; the most common excuses by those that did not were lack of knowledge of the significance of BSE (42.0%) and lack
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(1)
Breast cancer is the most repeatedly detected cancer category and the second reason cause of cancer-linked deaths among women worldwide. Tumor bio-indictor is a term utilized to describe possible indicators for carcinoma diagnosis, development and progression. The goal of this study is to evaluate part of some cytokines and biomarkers for both serum and saliva samples in breast cancer then estimate their potential value in the early diagnosis of breast cancer by doing more researches in saliva, and utilizing saliva instead of blood (serum and plasma) in sample collection from patients. Serum and salivary samples were taken from 72 patients with breast cancer and 45 healthy controls, in order to investigate the following
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(4)
Background: Breast cancer account for 29% of all newly diagnosed cancer in female and is responsible for 14% of cancer related deaths in women. Breast cancer is basically detected either during a screening tests, before symptoms have appeared, or after a woman notices a mass. Overall risk doubles each decade until the menopause, when the increase slows down or remains stable.
Objective: to find the correlation between the tumor size and grade and involvement of axillary lymph node.
Patients and methods: a continuous prospective study of 50 patients from 1st January 2016 to 1st January 2017 in Baghdad teaching hospital at 1st surgical floor, where almost all patients with breast cancer operated on by modified radical mastectomy and
Background: Although, different protocols of chemotherapy are recommended for the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, still response rates are variable.
Objectives: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects and correlation of different chemotherapy administered to metastatic breast cancer patients on serum levels of some biomarkers.
Patients and methods: Thirty metastatic breast cancer patients were enrolled in the study. The patients received different protocols of chemotherapy. Blood samples were taken from the patients before and after the last cycle of each protocol and from 20 healthy control and serum levels of biomarkers IL-6, leptin, CA 15-3 and p53 were estimated by Elisa.
Results: The mean serum levels of
Background: In Iraq, breast cancer is the most common type of malignancy among the Iraqi population in general. It accounts for approximately one third of the registered female cancers according to the latest Iraqi Cancer Registry.
Objectives: This study was conducted to assess the sociodemographic characteristics of patients with breast cancer in Baghdad.
Methodology: This cross sectional study that was conducted in Baghdad City during a three months period from January to March 2016. It was conducted at Al-Amal National Hospital for Cancer Management. The questionnaire form gathered info about sociodemographic characteristics including: age, gender, educational attainment, marital status, living arrangement, finical status, and d
Background: Breast cancer is the commonest type of malignancy among women worldwide and in Iraq. Tru-cut needle biopsy technique provides adequate tissue for histopathological diagnosis of suspected breast lumps and assessment of hormonal receptors (estrogen, progesterone and HER2neu) prior to surgical operation.
Objectives: To assess estrogen, progesterone andHER2neu expression using breast cancer tissue specimens obtained by tru-cut biopsy, to correlate the findings with clinicopathological parameters of known prognostic significance in breast cancer patients.
Patients and Methods: This prospective study was held within the Main Referral Center for Early Detection of Breast Tumors/Medical City Teachi