Breast Size and Breast Cancer Risk
Author Information
Author(s): Sellahewa Chaminda, Nightingale Peter, Carmichael Amtul R
Primary Institution: Russells Hall Hospital, Dudley, UK
Hypothesis
Women with large breasts are more likely to have node positive disease mainly attributable to their breast size.
Conclusion
Increased incidence of lymph node positivity at presentation in big-breasted women is due to larger size of the primary tumour and not due to the size of the breast alone.
Supporting Evidence
- Big breasted women had a significantly greater tumour size than those with smaller breasts.
- There was no significant difference in lymph node positivity between the two groups.
- The primary tumour size was significantly greater in those patients with axillary lymph node metastases.
Takeaway
Women with bigger breasts might have larger tumors, but having big breasts doesn't mean they will have more cancer spread to the lymph nodes.
Methodology
Data from 120 patients who underwent mastectomy for primary breast cancers were collected and analyzed using SPSS.
Potential Biases
The use of mastectomy weight as a measurement of breast size may introduce bias as it excludes women who had breast-conserving surgery.
Limitations
The study may not include women with very large breasts who underwent breast-conserving surgery, potentially diluting the effect of size on nodal metastasis.
Participant Demographics
Women who underwent mastectomy for primary breast cancers.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p = 0.019
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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