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Patient demographics and management challenges in an Irish symptomatic breast cancer unit

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Irish Journal of Medical Science (1971 -) Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Beaumont Hospital is a nationally designated symptomatic breast cancer unit, independent of the national screening programme, BreastCheck.

Aims

We hypothesised that patients attending symptomatic breast cancer units differ from national registry data and aimed to characterise this in a retrospective study.

Methods

A prospective database of patients diagnosed with breast cancer was maintained between 2014 and 2017. Multiple patient and tumour demographics were analysed retrospectively and compared with data from the National Cancer Registry.

Results

In total, 944 patients were diagnosed with breast cancer, 379 (40%) were aged < 50, 206 (22%) 50–64, 208 (22%) 65–75 and 151 (16%) > 75 years respectively. Expectedly, older patients (≥ 65 years) had a higher proportion of oestrogen receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer (72%). Triple negative breast cancer was relatively more common (17%) among younger patients. These patients received more intensive chemotherapy: 118 (64%) received combination anthracycline-taxane chemotherapy, in comparison with only 14 (21%) of older patients. Patients generally presented at a later stage compared with national registry data: stage II 491 (52%) and stage III 179 (19%) versus stage II (50%) and stage III (13%).

Conclusion

Patients attending the symptomatic breast cancer unit Beaumont Hospital have different demographics compared with the national registry data. This presents particular challenges for management.

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Availability of data and material

Database stored on secure Beaumont Hospital server

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Oncology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

    Zac L. Coyne, Maeve Hennessy, Deirdre Duke, Arnold Hill, Liam Grogan, Oscar Breathnach, Bryan Hennessy & Patrick G. Morris

  2. Department of Breast Surgery, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

    Zac L. Coyne, Maeve Hennessy, Deirdre Duke, Arnold Hill, Liam Grogan, Oscar Breathnach, Bryan Hennessy & Patrick G. Morris

  3. Department of Radiology, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

    Zac L. Coyne, Maeve Hennessy, Deirdre Duke, Arnold Hill, Liam Grogan, Oscar Breathnach, Bryan Hennessy & Patrick G. Morris

  4. Cancer Clinical Trials and Research Unit, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin, Ireland

    Zac L. Coyne, Maeve Hennessy, Deirdre Duke, Arnold Hill, Liam Grogan, Oscar Breathnach, Bryan Hennessy & Patrick G. Morris

  5. Royal College of Surgeons Ireland, Dublin, Ireland

    Zac L. Coyne, Maeve Hennessy, Deirdre Duke, Arnold Hill, Liam Grogan, Oscar Breathnach, Bryan Hennessy & Patrick G. Morris

Authors
  1. Zac L. Coyne
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  2. Maeve Hennessy
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  3. Deirdre Duke
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  4. Arnold Hill
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  5. Liam Grogan
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  6. Oscar Breathnach
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  7. Bryan Hennessy
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  8. Patrick G. Morris
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zac L. Coyne.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Approved by Beaumont Hospital

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Coyne, Z.L., Hennessy, M., Duke, D. et al. Patient demographics and management challenges in an Irish symptomatic breast cancer unit. Ir J Med Sci 189, 1237–1241 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-020-02245-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-020-02245-z

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