Breast Cancer Risk Assessment: 5000 Cases

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the contribution of the risk factors, by determining the risk levels in women scanned for breast cancer, to the scanning performed for early diagnosis and the risk levels of the women diagnosed with breast cancer. The study was performed on 5000 women applying to Early-Diagnosis, Screening and Education Center for Cancer (KETEM) for breast cancer scanning. All participants were exposed to the criteria "The Risk Assessment Form for Breast Cancer" suggested by the Ministry of Health to assess the risk of breast cancer. The risk levels of the subjects were defined as: low, moderate, high and the highest. The median age of the subjects was 45 years (range, 18-88). Distributions of the cases were as follows, according to breast cancer risk levels: low risk 94.42% (n=4721), moderate risk 4.92% (n=246), high risk 0.38% (n=19) and the highest risk 0.28% (n=14). When moderate, high and the highest risk levels were taken into consideration as the groups at risk, breast cancer risk level was defined to be 5.6% (n=279). Of the 22 subjects with breast cancer and evaluated for risk levels, 16(73%) displayed low risk and 6 (27%) moderate risk, but no high risk was detected. Although the risk assessment for breast cancer may provide beneficial data on risk level, it cannot give us marked data about the risk of breast cancer. Therefore, it is essential that breast cancer screening should be performed according to the age level, the most significant independent risk factor.