A Comparison of Risk Factors in Women with and without a Diagnosis of Breast Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Analysis from the West of Turkey

Abstract

Introduction: To compare breast cancer (BC) risk factors in women with a BC diagnosis and in socio-demographically similar women without malignancy in western Turkey. Methods: Descriptive, retrospective, cross-sectional study in a private hospital’s surgical outpatient clinic. Cases were women diagnosed between 1 January–31 December 2020 (n=58); controls were age- and socio-demographically matched clinic attendees without malignancy (n=58) chosen by simple random sampling. Data were abstracted from records and completed via telephone interviews conducted after ethics approval (29 December 2021) using a 38-item questionnaire. Normality (Shapiro–Wilk) and variance homogeneity (Levene) were assessed; appropriate parametric or non-parametric tests were applied. Exact two-sided p-values are reported.Results: Groups were comparable for marital status, education, income, occupational chemical exposure, and employment (p>0.05). A first-degree family history of specified cancers (breast/ovarian/fallopian/prostate/melanoma) and a history of benign breast mass/cyst were more frequent in the BC group (p=0.030 and p0.05). The number of prior mammograms correlated weakly and non-significantly with diagnosis (r=0.03, p=0.73). Discussion and Conclusion: Family cancer history and benign breast disease distinguished women with BC, whereas many lifestyle and environmental factors did not. These markers may help target risk-based screening and follow-up in similar clinical settings.