Predictive factors affecting axillary lymph node involvement in patients with breast cancer in Duhok: Cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer affecting women during their life, there are many histological types of breast cancer that have different biological behaviors. Tumors have different genetic and molecular differences which affect the expression of various hormone receptors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The aim of this study is to show the factors that determine the axillary lymph node involvement in patients with breast cancer in Duhok city. A total number of 479 female patients with breast cancer of various histological types, immunohistochemical characteristics, and clinical stages were included in this study. These patients underwent modified radical mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection. RESULTS: The mean age of our patients was 48.24 years, the mean number of the positive lymph nodes were 2 lymph nodes, the median size of the tumor was 30 mm. A significant correlation was found with the size of the tumor and the estrogen receptor status (P values (0.000 and 0.042) respectively, while there was no significant correlation with other factors such as the age, stage of the tumor, grade of the tumor, tumor necrosis, progesterone and HER-2 receptors status. CONCLUSION: Size of the tumor and the estrogen receptor status were the most common factors that determined axillary lymph node involvement in patients with breast cancer in our study.