بكالوريوس / Bachelor's

This is a retrospective, record-based study at Dongola Oncology Center, Northern State, Sudan. It describes the clinical characteristics and treatment patterns of breast cancer patients. Breast cancer is the leading cancer among Sudanese women, and most studies come from Khartoum, Gezira and Eastern Sudan. Little is published about patients managed at Dongola Oncology Center. This study therefore reviews the medical records of all patients with a documented breast cancer diagnosis who attended or were registered at the center between January 2023 and September 2026. The diagnosis may have been made at the center or at another facility. It uses total (census) sampling, so no sample size calculation is needed, and data are collected between September and November 2026 with a pre-designed data-collection sheet. Duplicate records and records that do not show the patient attended the center are excluded. The study aims to: describe demographic characteristics (age, sex, residence, marital status); describe clinical and pathological features (symptoms, tumor size, lymph-node status, stage, histological type and grade, ER/PR/HER2 status); describe treatment patterns (surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, hormonal and targeted therapy); determine the proportion of patients presenting at an advanced stage (III or IV) and the factors associated with it; assess how complete the medical records are. The findings should give center-specific evidence to guide care and improve documentation.

No patient names, phone numbers, or other direct identifiers will be collected. Each record will be assigned a unique study code, and the data will be entered into the electronic form using this code only. Patient files will be reviewed within Dongola Oncology Center and will not be removed from the premises. Collected data will be stored on a password-protected device accessible only to the research team and the supervisor. The data will be used for research purposes only, and results will be reported in aggregate form so that no individual patient can be identified.

Potential Risks This is a retrospective, record-based study involving no direct contact with patients and no interventional procedures. Therefore, it poses minimal risk to participants. The potential risks are limited to: 1. Breach of Confidentiality: The primary risk is the potential loss of privacy. To mitigate this, all data will be anonymized upon collection. No names, phone numbers, or national ID numbers will be recorded. Each patient will be assigned a unique study code. Data will be stored in a password-protected database accessible only to the principal investigators. 2. Psychological Distress: Although there is no direct interaction, handling sensitive oncology data will be done with the utmost respect and confidentiality to preserve patient dignity. No physical, social, or economic risks are anticipated. The study will not affect the patients' current or future clinical care at the oncology center. The benefits of understanding breast cancer patterns in Northern Sudan outweigh this minimal risk.

Potential Benefits of the Study Although this study offers no direct personal benefit to the participants, it is expected to provide significant scientific and public health benefits: 1. Improved Local Understanding: This will be among the first studies to document the clinical characteristics, stage at presentation, and histopathological patterns of breast cancer in Northern Sudan, where data is currently scarce. 2. Optimization of Patient Care: By analyzing current treatment patterns, the study will help identify gaps in management and guide the development of more effective, evidence-based local treatment protocols at Dongola Oncology Center. 3. Public Health Planning: The findings will provide valuable data for health authorities to improve early detection programs, resource allocation, and awareness campaigns tailored to the population of Northern State. 4. Contribution to Scientific Literature: The study will contribute to the national and regional cancer registry, supporting future research and comparison with other centers in Sudan and Africa. In summary, the study aims to enhance the quality of oncology services and ultimately improve outcomes for future breast cancer patients in the region.