Table 1 Estimated prevalence of incidental breast cancer and precursor lesions by year of autopsies done and thoroughness of examination in the 13 included studies
Author | Median year autopsies done | Country/Ethnicity | Number of women | Age (range, years) | Study Population | Peer Review | Used international pathology reporting method | Detected breast cancer possibly caused woman’s death? | Mean number of sections submitted for pathology | Invasive Cancera | In-situ cancer (DCISb/LCIS)c | Atypical Hyperplasia (ADHd/ALH)e | All categories of Cancer or Precursor lesiona | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Forensic vs Hospital | Consecutive | |||||||||||||
Kiaer | 1948 | Denmark | 351 | 51 | Forensic | No | No | No | No | Not available | 0·3% | 0·0% | 0·0% | 0·3% |
(16–89) | ||||||||||||||
Ryan | 1962 | Canada | 100 | 56 | Hospital | No | Yes | No | Not available | 7 | 0·0% | 0·0% | 3·0% | 3·0% |
Sarnelli | 1962 | Italy | 100 | 62 | Hospital | No | No | Yes | No | Not available | 0·0% | 0·0% | 0·0% | 0·0% |
(46–90) | ||||||||||||||
Kramer | 1973 | USA | 70 | 79 | Hospital | No | No | No | Not available | 100 | 1·4% | 4·3% | 10·0% | 15·7% |
(70 –?) | ||||||||||||||
Nielsen 1984 | 1977 | Denmark | 75 | 67 | Hospital | Yes | No | Yes: WHO (1981), Azzopardi | No | 189 | 1·3% | 18·7% | 4·0% | 26·6% |
(22–89) | ||||||||||||||
Bartow | 1981 | USA | 519 | 43 | Forensic | Yes | No | No | No | 18 | 1·0% | 0·4% | 1·0% | 2·3% |
(15–88) | ||||||||||||||
Nielsen 1987 | 1984 | Denmark | 109 | 39 | Forensic | Yes | No | Yes: WHO (1981), Azzopardi | No | 549 | 0·9% | 18·3% | 7·3% | 26·6% |
(20–54) | ||||||||||||||
Alpers | 1985 | USA | 101 | 51 | Hospital | No | No | No | No | 253 | 0·0% | 8·9% | 10·9% | 19·8% |
(15–99) | ||||||||||||||
Pisano | 1985 | Chile | 152 | 44 | Forensic | No | Yes | Yes | No | 3 | 0·7% | 0·0% | 0·0% | 0·7% |
Bhathal | 1985 | Australia | 207 | 60 | Forensic | Yes | No | Yes: Black & de Chabon | No | 23 | 1·4% | 13·0% | 12·6% | 27·1% |
(15–97) | ||||||||||||||
Giarelli | 1985 | Italy | 463 | 77 | Hospital | Yes | No | No | No | Not available | 1·5% | 0·0% | 0·0% | 1·5% |
(35 –?) | ||||||||||||||
Inai | 1985 | Japan | 62 | 55 | Hospital | No | No | Yes: Azzopardi | No | 36 | 1·6% | 0·0% | 14·5% | 16·1% |
(11–85) | ||||||||||||||
Starlsberg (Ghana)f | 2010 |  |  | 39 | Hospital | No | Yes | No | Yes | 8 | 7·1% | 0·0% | 0·0% | 7·1% |
Ghana | 28 | (15–60) | ||||||||||||
Starlsberg (Norway)f | 2010 |  |  | 42 | Hospital | No | Yes | No | Yes | 8 | 3·8% | 0·0% | 3·8% | 7·7% |
Norway | 26 | (15–60) | ||||||||||||