Exploring the association among breast cancer risk factors, biomarker profiles, and tumor stages: a study from Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer worldwide and continues to be a global public health concern. According to GLOBOCAN estimates, 19% of 68.7 million new breast cancer cases were diagnosed in 2022, making it the most prevalent cancer among females in Bangladesh. Breast cancer is a life-threatening disease in females and the leading cause of mortality among women population. This study aimed to identify the potential predisposing factors and to demonstrate different breast cancer types, stages, and associated risk factors for breast cancer among women. A structured questionnaire including demographic and medical history was used to collect data on factors leading to breast cancer. Data from ninety-four breast cancer patients were collected, and statistical analyses were done by SPSS (version 30) for analysis. The study also showed the risk of breast cancer increases with increasing age. Most of the patients were in their menopausal and postmenopausal age. A potential association between having a first child before the age of 20 and increased breast cancer risk was found. Using oral contraceptive pills (OCP) correlated with higher BMI, which increases the risk of developing breast cancer in this study. Higher BMI patients tend to develop more aggressive cancer types in this study. These patients were diagnosed at an advanced stage; in this case, stage 2 is the most prevalent. In addition, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) was the most pervasive biomarker across all the breast cancer patients in this study and showed a tendency to appear in individuals with higher BMI. TNBC patients were diagnosed at an advanced stage, which was linked with difficult prognoses and limited treatment options. This analysis also suggests a possible correlation between oral contraceptive pill use and increased prevalence of HER2+ breast cancer. The findings of this study will help to enhance the knowledge of general people in Bangladesh, especially women, which will lead to the prevention and early diagnosis of breast cancer and thus reduce the mortality and prevalence rates.