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Breast Cancer Diagnosis from Screening in Trinidad and Tobago: Opportunities for Cancer Prevention

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Abstract

Trinidad and Tobago (TT) experiences the highest breast cancer mortality in the Caribbean; the distribution of traditional breast cancer risk factors in this population has not been analyzed. Data on women who underwent breast cancer screening at the TT Cancer Society between January 2009–December 2011(N = 2,689) were retrospectively collected. The screening detected 131 incident breast cancers; variables significantly associated with breast cancer diagnosis were, a positive family history of breast cancer (adjusted odds ratio [ORadj]: 1.55; 95 % CI 1.00–2.41), presence of symptoms (ORadj: 1.91; 95 % CI 1.25–2.92), and previous breast surgery (ORadj: 1.67; 95 % CI 0.97–2.88). Breast cancer was significantly associated with increased breast density. Among healthy women, breast density was positively associated with nulliparity (ORadj: 1.46, 1.37, 2.52 respectively for density level 2, 3 and 4 vs. 1) and previous breast surgeries (ORadj: 2.27, 3.09 and 4.13 respectively for density level 2, 3 and 4 vs. 1). This analysis confirms that breast density is an important predictor of newly diagnosed breast cancer in this Caribbean population. Screening is still a diagnostic tool rather than a preventive measure in TT.

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Acknowledgments

The author will like to thank the following people for contributions to this paper. National Institute of Higher Education Research Science and Technology: Maureen Manchouck, Shirley Lewis, Nichole Alphonse-Robinson, Marvin Gordon, Denzil Commissiong, Tahira Khan. National Cancer Registry of Trinidad and Tobago, Veronica Roach. St. Francis College, NY, USA, Kathleen Nolan, Leah Kovenat. CUNY- School of Public Health: Diane Brows, Lisa Weiss, Tapan Parikh.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. City University of New York (CUNY), School of Public Health, Epidemiology Program, New York, NY, USA

    Marlon D. Joseph, Lorna Thorpe & Roy Lee

  2. Trinidad and Tobago Cancer Society, POS, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies

    Carey Annandsingh & George Laquis

  3. National Institute of Higher Education Research Science and Technology, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies

    Joycelyn Lee Young

  4. New York Law School, New York, NY, USA

    Jamie Kwasniewski

  5. Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine, 175 Community Drive, Room 203, Great Neck, NY, 11021, USA

    Emanuela Taioli

Authors
  1. Marlon D. Joseph
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  2. Lorna Thorpe
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  3. Carey Annandsingh
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  4. George Laquis
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  5. Joycelyn Lee Young
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  6. Jamie Kwasniewski
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  7. Roy Lee
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  8. Emanuela Taioli
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Correspondence to Emanuela Taioli.

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D. Joseph, M., Thorpe, L., Annandsingh, C. et al. Breast Cancer Diagnosis from Screening in Trinidad and Tobago: Opportunities for Cancer Prevention. J Immigrant Minority Health 16, 409–415 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-012-9767-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-012-9767-3

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