Trends of Mastectomy and Breast-Conserving Surgery in Female Breast Cancer Patients

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women across the world, accounting for 25.2% of cancer cases among females and 14.7% of cancer-related deaths among females worldwide. The survival rates are markedly lower in the developing countries compared to developed countries, as well as the age at diagnosis. Core management of breast cancer includes surgical removal of the tumor either by breast-conserving surgery (BCS) or mastectomy (removal of the whole breast). Choosing between these two procedures may be influenced by factors that have yet to be studied in Saudi Arabia. The investigators aimed to determine the prevalence of BCS and mastectomy and the factors that may influence the choice of procedure. This retrospective study was carried out by reviewing the records of female breast cancer patients who underwent BCS or mastectomy at King Abdulaziz University Hospital between 2009 to June 2017, excluding those with metastasis (distant spread of the cancer) or recurrence. Using frequencies for the rate, and multivariate tests, the investigators analyzed different demographic, clinicopathological, and radiological factors to detect correlations with procedure choice.