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Review
. 2019 Jan 22:13:894.
doi: 10.3332/ecancer.2019.894. eCollection 2019.

Locally advanced breast cancer in young women in Latin America

Cynthia Villarreal-Garza  1   2   3 , Edna A Lopez-Martinez  1   3 , Jose Felipe Muñoz-Lozano  1   3 , Karla Unger-Saldaña  4
Affiliations
Review

Locally advanced breast cancer in young women in Latin America

Cynthia Villarreal-Garza et al. Ecancermedicalscience. .

Abstract

The purpose of this review is to organise, summarise and critically assess existing knowledge on locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) among young women in Latin America. We discuss the most relevant findings in six sections: 1) epidemiology of breast cancer in young women in Latin America; 2) being young as a factor for worse prognosis; 3) LABC in young women in the region; 4) aggressive tumour behaviour among young women; 5) delays in diagnosis and treatment and 6) burden of advanced disease. We point out the need to dedicate resources to enhance earlier diagnosis and prompt referrals of young women with breast cancer; promote research regarding prevalence, biologic characteristics, outcomes and reasons for diagnosis and treatment delays for this age group; and finally, implement supportive care programmes as a means of improving patients and their families' well-being. The recognition of the current standpoint of breast cancer in young patients across the continent should shed some light on the importance of this pressing matter.

Keywords: Latin America; breast cancer; delay; locally advanced; young.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. BC incidence by age group (15–39 versus ≥40 years) according to GLOBOCAN 2012 [4].
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. BC stages at diagnosis in selected countries in Latin America [16, 17, 23], USA [26] and New Zealand [27].
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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