| Abstract: | Morbidity- and morality statistics of cancer of the breast show a clear increase in almost all countries. The numbers of patients who died increased particularly in countries situated around the north-sea. It appears that unmarried women run a greater risk, as reported by many authors. On further risks we could not confirm that those women with few children predominated. Our results correspond to numbers calculated for abortions. More children increase the danger of breast cancer. These evaluations cannot be separated from the impact of shortened breast-feeding and sociologic factors which also influence the risk in an ill-defined manner. Breast-cancer is doubly to five times as common in female relatives of patients as shown in Anglo-american and our own materials. Age distribution among 742 patients shows, rather like that of some Scandinavian authors, peaks between 45 and 49 and between 56 and 63 years. This again raises the question of a post-menopausal stimulus. In our material there is an average delary of 4 1/2 months between first symptoms and start of treatment. The causes arise both from patients and doctors and, age apart, are responsible for the undue delay. Delay, invasion of lymph nodes and size of tumor establish a correlation between delay and stage of tumor. As to the site of the tomor the left breast was more often involved than the right in our patients. The upper lateral quadrant predominated. To extend the period of survival we shall have to reduce delay and develop further special techniques of treatment. |
