Epidemiology and Survival Analysis of Jordanian Female Breast Cancer Patients Diagnosed from ۱۹۹۷ to ۲۰۰۲

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer among Jordanian women, yet survival data are scarce. This study aims to assess the observed five-year survival rate of breast cancer in Jordan from ۱۹۹۷ to ۲۰۰۲ and to determine factors that may influence survival. Methods: Data were obtained from the Jordan Cancer Registry (JCR), which is a population-based registry. From ۱۹۹۷-۲۰۰۲, ۲۱۲۱ patients diagnosed with breast cancer were registered in JCR. Relevant data were collected from JCR files, hospital medical records and histopathology reports. Patient's status, whether alive or dead, was ascertained from the Department of Civil Status using patients’ national numbers (ID). Statistical analysis was carried out using SPSS (version ۱۰). Survival probabilities by age, morphology, grade, stage and other relevant variables were obtained with the Kaplan Meier method.Results: The overall five-year survival for breast cancer in Jordan, regardless of the stage or grade was ۶۴.۲%, meanwhile it was ۵۸% in the group aged less than ۳۰ years. The best survival was in the age group ۴۰-۴۹ years (۶۹.۳%). The survival for adenocarcinoma was ۵۷.۴% and for medullary carcinoma, it was ۸۲%. The survival rate approximated ۷۳.۸% for well-differentiated, ۵۵.۶% for anaplastic, and ۵۸% for poorly differentiated cancers. The five-year survival rate was ۸۲.۷% for stage I, ۷۲.۲% for stage II, ۵۸.۷% for stage III, and ۳۴.۶% for stage IV cancers.Conclusion: According to univariate analysis, stage, grade, age and laterality of breast cancer significantly influenced cancer survival. Cox regression analysis revealed that stage, grade and age factors correlated with prognosis, while laterality showed no significant effect on survival. Results demonstrated that overall survival was relatively poor. We hypothesized that this was due to low levels of awareness and lack of screening programs.