Abstract:
The study is conducted at Radiation and Isotopes Centre of Khartoum (RICK), in the period from June 2009 to December 2009. A number of 100 patients reported as patients of breast cancer and underwent radiotherapy treatment and most of them chemotherapy too.
The ages of the patients ranged between 20 and 80 years. High incidence of breast cancer was in northern of Sudan 25 patients (25%), western of Sudan 25 patients (25%) and Khartoum 21 patients (21%). Out of the 100 patients distant metastases were found in 34 patients (34%) of them, 46 patients (46%) of them did not have any metastasis, and the remainder 20 patients (20%) were not mentioned in the patient’s records. Only 82 patients (82%) chest x-ray was done to them; 23 of them (28%) with chest metastases.
According to the 23 patients who did have chest metastases out of 82 patients: in 17 patients (74%) chest x-ray was done after 1 to 4 years of the first symptoms of cancer appeared, This is due to failure of patients to contact oncologists. 12 patients (52%) chest x-ray was done once referring to Rick.
22 patients (96%) of metastasis chest x-rays reported as lung metastases, 4 patients (17.4%) of lung metastases with chest wall metastases as well and 1 patient (4.3%) with mediastinal metastases.
Nodules were seen in 16 patients (70%), pleural in 6 patients (26%), lytic lesions in 4 patients (17.4%), and lung replacement in 1 patient (4.3%). Other distant metastases were seen in 11 patients (48%) with chest metastases.
With regards to the use of other modalities out of the 82 patients: 53 patients (65%) were examined by ultrasound for abdomen, 7 patients (8%) by CT, 3 patients (4%) by MRI, 4 patients (5%) by nuclear, 9 patients (11%) by mammography, 7 patients (8%) by breast ultrasound, and 9 patients (11%) by others radiological investigation.
It concluded that chest x-ray is the first modality used in suspected chest metastases, so it recommended to be done as frequency as possible.
