Differences in Stage and Age Breast Cancer Patients among Urban and Rural in West Sumatera, Indonesia

Abstract

Abstract Breast cancer is the top ten contributor to death in women. The study objective is to compare the survival times of breast cancer patients living in urban and rural areas and identify related determinant factors. A retrospective cohort design was used with 132 patients diagnosed by doctors and laboratory anatomical pathology. Kaplan-Meier model was used to compare survival rates in urban and rural areas, and log-rank was performed to identify related risk factors. The average breast cancer survival time was 20.78 months. Urban areas had a shorter survival rate compared to rural. Breast cancer is influenced by stage and age. The dominant factor influencing survival rates in both rural and urban areas is age, particularly among older women in rural regions who tend to experience higher survival rates, and staging was also significant (p-value < 0,000). Survival in villages is higher than in urban areas influenced by original cultural values and customs. Living a good and simple life supports the formation of good psychology to extend the life expectancy of people with breast cancer.