Recently, the incidence of breast cancer is gradually increasing in Korea. Many patients visit the hospital with a fear of breast cancer if she has found any abnormality in her breast. But most of the breast symptoms were non-specific breast
cancer
features.
To understand the symptoms of breast disease better with more scientific basis. we analysed the questionaires and medical records of 1255 cases with breast related symptoms, who visited the out-patient clinic of Guro Hospital, Korea University,
between
June of 1989 to May of 1992.
Of the 1255 cases of abnormal breast symptoms, 32 cases(26.5%) had a breast mass only, 215 cases(17.1%) with breast pain only, 38 cases(3.0%) with abnormal nipple discharge only, 91 cases (7.3%) with a combination of breast mass, pain and
abnormal
nipple discharge, 379 cases(30.2%) with a combination of breast mass and pain, 45 cases(3.6%) with a combination of breast mass and abnormal nipple discharge, 120 cases(9.6%) with non-specific breast symptoms.
Among 1255 cases, 1002 cases(79.8%) had negative findings on physical examination and mammography and 253 cases(20.2%) showed positive results on physical examination and mammography were operated on for diagnoses to confirm breast disease.
The cancer incidence was 23.7%(60/253 cases) in operated cases and 4.8%(60/1255 cases) in total cases.
The incidence of open biopsy according to symptoms and cancer incidence of biopsy cases, total cases of variable cases of variable symptoms and total 1255 cases were 31.5%, 21.9%, 6.5%, and 1.8% in cases with mass only, 7.4%, 6.3%, 0.5%, 0.08%
had
pain
only, 15.8%, 0%, 0%, 0% in discharge only, 19.8%, 44.4%, 8.8%, 0.6% in cases with combined mass, pain, and nipple discharge, 21.1%, 25.0%, and 1.6% in combined mass and pain, 28.9%, 38.5%, 11.1%, and 0.4% in combined nipple discharge, 11.8%, 0%,
0%, and
0% in combined pain and nipple discharge and 9.2%, 27.3%, 2.5%, and 0.2% in non-specific symtptoms.
The difference of cancer incidence related to breast symptoms were 6.6% in patient with mass related symptoms versus 0.98% in patients with other symptoms in 1255 cases and 25.9% with mass related symptoms versus 1% with other symptoms in 253
operated
cases and the mass and mass related symptoms among the presenting symptoms are more often operated on than other symptoms(p<0.05).
There were no significant relationship between cancer incidence and menstrual status, delivery and nursing history, and duration of menstruation. But over 30 year of age is related to the increased incidence of breast cancer(p<0.001).
We conclude that the age of more than 30 years old women with mass or mass related symptoms needed more careful evaluation and aggressive approaches for discovering the breast cancer.
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