Breast Cancer: A Lot to be Done!!@@@سرطان الثدي : مازال أمامنا الكثير

One hundred and twenty-one female patients with breast cancer were treated at King Abdulaziz University Hospital over a period of eight years. Early breast cancer (stage 0-1) represented 13.2%, while 73.3% presented with locally advanced disease (stage II-III), and examined metastatic disease at the time of presentation was only present in 5.8%. The majority of our patients were premenopausal (64.5%) and 30.6% were less than 40 years old. Modified radical mastectomy was performed in 71.1%, while only 15.7% had conservative breast surgery. The present situation of this common and serious health problem is less than ideal and indicates that a lot has to be done to detect the disease at an earlier stage. This can be achieved by the introduction of public health education programs, initiation of breast clinics, and encouraging screening mammogram protocols.