|
 
Last update: |
 |
|
|
06-Jun-2005
|
 |
|
|
Arch Hellen Med, 22(1), January-February 2005, 66-72 ORIGINAL PAPER Diagnostic approach to women with breast cancer in Greece A. KERAMOPOULLOS,1,2 A. LOUVROU,1,2 K. AMPELA,2 G. VOURLI,1 D. BALTAS,1 |
OBJECTIVE Recent guidelines from the American Cancer Society report that mammography is the only appropriate screening method for breast cancer in women. It is well established that early detection of the disease implies a better prognosis for the woman.
METHOD This is a retrospective study of the ways by which breast cancer was detected in 1,067 women treated in the Alexandra Maternity Hospital and IASO Women's Hospital in the years 1980-2003. Additionally, the tumor characteristics and the survival and disease free survival of the women were analyzed.
RESULTS The majority of the women detected the tumor themselves (74%), while in 12.3% of cases the diagnosis was made by mammography. The findings suggest that in cases where the tumor was detected by mammography the disease was in an earlier stage and women had a longer survival and disease free survival.
CONCLUSIONS Doctors' recommendations for annual mammographic screening must be intensified.
Key words: Breast cancer, Diagnosis, Mammography.
