engleski

Influence of stress related to war on biological and morphological characteristics of breast cancer in a defined population.

PURPOSE: To assess differences between patients with breast cancer before, during and after the 1991-1995 war in Croatia. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We analyzed 660 patients of Pozesko-Slavonska County, during the three periods. Relative predictive values of patient's characteristics and stage of tumor were assessed using the X2-test, and survival with Kaplan-Meier analysis. RESULTS: Tumors were significantly more often of higher stages (IIA and IIB) and with axillary lymph node metastases (N1) during the war, than in pre-war and post-war period.Breast cancer was significantly more frequent in patients who previously experienced death in the family (35, 3%). The Kaplan-Meier analysis showed correlation between survival, T and N stages of tumor and clinical stage of tumor. CONCLUSION: The war aggression towards Croatia with its impact on our patients, contributed to modification of characteristics of breast cancer in the analyzed period.

breast cancer ; life change events ; stress ; survival analysis ; war

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