Table 2.

Clinical characteristics of breast cancer in Tanzania, 2007–2009

Variables by level	Total distribution (Total N = 488)		Stage 1 & 2 (Total N = 33, 9.27%)		Stage 3 & 4 (Total N = 323, 90.73%)		Early vs. late stage P-value
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
Duration of Symptoms in Months(397,26,272)
Mean ± SD	17.18 ± 24.58	–	20.77 ± 32.05	–	16.85 ± 22.74	–	0.420a
Range	0–168	–	0.5–132	–	0–168	–
Laterality(485,33,323)
Right	233	48.04	16	48.48	146	45.20	0.224b
Left	222	45.77	17	51.51	150	46.44
Bilateral	30	6.19	0	0	27	8.36
Recurrence(485,33,323)
No	423	87.22	29	87.87	288	89.16	0.771c
Yes	62	12.78	4	12.12	35	10.84
Stage(327)
I	3	0.92	–	–	–	–	–
II	30	9.17	–	–	–	–
III	105	32.11	–	–	–	–
IV	189	57.80	–	–	–	–
Mass(458,31,308)
No	27	5.90	4	12.9	17	5.52	0.113c
Yes	431	94.10	27	87.1	291	94.48
Mass Size(223,20,163)
< 5 cm	69	30.94	14	70	39	23.93	< 0.001b
≥ 5 cm	154	69.06	6	30	124	76.07
Ulcer(440,31,300)
No	303	68.86	28	90.32	191	63.67	0.002c
Yes	137	31.14	3	9.68	109	36.33
Pain(443,31,303)
No	245	55.31	22	70.97	152	50.17	0.027b
Yes	198	44.70	9	29.03	151	49.84
Nipple Retraction(439,31,300)
No	336	76.54	29	93.55	212	70.67	0.005c
Yes	103	23.46	2	6.45	88	29.33
Erythema(439,31,300)
No	370	84.28	30	96.77	242	80.67	0.025c
Yes	69	15.72	1	3.23	58	19.33
Edema(440,31,301)
No	349	79.32	27	87.1	228	75.75	0.185c
Yes	91	20.68	4	12.9	73	24.25
Peaud’Orange(439,31,300)
No	310	70.62	29	93.55	187	62.33	< 0.001c
Yes	129	29.38	2	6.45	113	37.67

^a= Student’s t-test;

^b= Chi-square test;

^c= Fisher’s exact test.