Clinical manifestations of breast cancer: A cross-sectional study among women in Karbala city, Iraq, in 2023

Abstract

A comprehensive exploration of clinical manifestations in breast cancer is vital, as it aids in identifying specific subtypes or disease stages, guiding treatment choices, and predicting patient outcomes. The current study aims to contribute to existing knowledge by conducting a cross-sectional investigation into breast cancer manifestations among women in Karbala city, Iraq. The study involved 293 women, focusing on symptoms such as lumps in the breast (92.8%), swelling of the axillary nodes (83.3%), nipple retraction (38.9%), nipple discharge (30.7%), and breast pain (100%). “Previous breast surgery” was identified as a significant predictor for all studied manifestations. At the same time, age was specifically significant for the “lump in breast” symptom with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.94 (95% CI, 0.89–0.98; p = 0.01). Among all the clinical manifestations studied, “previous breast surgery” demonstrated the highest predictive significance, showing ORs of 4.1, 2.5, 4.4, and 5.8 for “lump in breast,” “axillary nodes swelling,” “nipple retraction,” and “nipple discharge,” respectively. Furthermore, the occurrence of a “lump in breast” exhibited statistical significance when comparing patients with unilateral ( n = 251) and bilateral ( n = 21) breast cancer, with a p -value ≤0.001. The study revealed that younger age was associated with a higher likelihood of detecting breast lumps, potentially leading to earlier diagnoses. Women with a history of breast surgery were more likely to present with various clinical manifestations of breast cancer. The presence of a breast lump showed a significant difference between unilateral and bilateral cases. These findings can contribute to early detection, diagnosis, and better management of breast cancer in the study population and beyond.