The overall 5-year survival rate of breast cancer among Iranian women: A systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies

Abstract

Introduction: Breast Cancer (BC) is the most prevalent cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death among Iranian women. A valid estimation of the 5-year survival rate can improve the current BC treatment programs. The present study aimed to assess the 5-year survival rate through a systematic review of published studies.

Methods: A systematic search of Medline/PubMed, Scopus, and Science direct as well as Iranian databases was conducted to identify the original articles evaluating the 5-year survival rate of BC among women in Iran. Random effects model was used to estimate the pooled 5-year survival rate. The eligible articles were analyzed using the Stata software.

Results: Our comprehensive literature search identified 11 eligible articles 2 of which were excluded due to reporting the results of a single study. The remaining 9 articles that contained 4815 women diagnosed with BC during 1991-2014 were included in the meta-analysis. The combined 5-year survival rate of BC was estimated to be 67.60%.

Discussion/conclusion: The survival rate of BC was relatively low in Iran compared to developed countries. Hence, more effective measures have to be taken to increase these patients' survival.

Keywords: Iran; Survival rate; breast cancer; meta-analysis; systematic review.