Objectives: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common cancer in women globally and in India. This study analyzes demographic characteristics, treatment patterns, and clinical outcomes of BC patients treated at two satellite centres in India during the first five operational years. Material and Methods: All eligible women patients with BC treated between 2015 and 2020 were included in this retrospective study. Factors impacting disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) were identified using univariate analyses with Kaplan–Meier curves and multivariable Cox regression. Results: In total, 1267 patients with a median age of 52 years early breast cancer (EBC), n = 704 (55.6%); locally advanced breast cancer (LABC), n = 563 (44.4%) were included. 5-year DFS and OS rates were 79.1% and 82.9%, respectively (EBC, 86.6% and 88.3%; LABC, 68% and 72.8%, respectively). On multivariable analysis, mastectomy and hormone receptor (HR)-negative histology were significantly associated with inferior DFS for patients with EBC. For those with LABC, DFS was adversely impacted by HR-negative histology, nodal metastasis, and chemotherapy non-receipt. Conclusion: This study provides insight into contemporary BC treatment patterns and outcomes at two newly commissioned tertiary cancer care centres in India. These findings support the viability of a hub-and-spoke model for cancer care, suggesting that quality of care can be maintained while improving geographic access to treatment and informing future interventions.
Vadgaonkar et al. (Mon,) studied this question.
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