Breast Cancer Inpatients Undergoing Mastectomy from a Hospital in Guangzhou, China: A Retrospective Analysis 2004- 2013.

BACKGROUND To explore the hospitalizations of breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy, and to provide a basis for management, clinical prevention and treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted an investigation by means of the retrospective survey and the medical records retrieval system, and made out the data of patients suffered from breast cancer in a hospital in Guangzhou from 2004 to 2013, including age, medical payment methods, pathological type, treatment, treatment results, complications, hospitalization days, cost and so on. RESULTS The average age of the inpatients was 50.14 years old. The main histologic types were infiltrating duct carcinoma (88.06%). The main surgery was modified radical mastectomy (80.41%). The cure rate was 90.80% during the 10 years. The main medical payment method was self-paying (57.28%). The average hospital stay was 13.51 days, and average hospitalization cost was RMB 23,083.66 yuan, proportion of drug fees up to 39.70%. Postoperative complication rate was 0.79%. The self-paying group was with the highest proportion of drug fees (P<0.05), while the free medical service group was with the longest hospitalization days (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The payment methods significantly affected the proportion of drug fees and hospitalization days. The therapeutic effect was satisfactory with less complications and reasonable proportion of drug fees in our hospital.