Trend analysis of breast cancer screening in Golestan province’s family physician program: performance evaluation for women aged 30–69

Abstract

In the ranking of cancer incidence for the year, female breast cancer was the most common cancer in the north-east region of Iran. This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the trend of breast cancer screening within Golestan province’s Family Physician Program. This repeated cross-sectional study utilized secondary data encompassing 442,549 documented cases, including demographic details and other pertinent information, collected from Golestan Province between 2019 and 2023. Data collection was executed through a census and retrospective approach. Descriptive statistics were employed to summarize patient characteristics. At the same time, intergroup differences were examined using t-tests, Chi-square tests, Fisher’s exact tests, and analysis of variance, with a significance level established at P < 0.05. The average age of participants was 42.3 years, with a standard deviation of 9.9. Over five years, the number of women screened showed a consistent increase, aside from a brief drop during the COVID-19 pandemic. Immediate referrals made up 39.6% of all screened women, while 60.4% needed non-urgent follow-up. Most women (97%) had no symptoms at screening, and mammography detected a small percentage of suspicious or malignant cases. Biopsy results confirmed cancer in 39% of those cases, demonstrating the screening program’s success in catching early-stage disease. Breast cancer in Golestan Province appears to affect women at relatively younger ages compared with global averages and remains a leading cause of death among women in the region. Strengthening early detection programs, awareness initiatives, and targeted outreach can further reduce breast cancer–related mortality.