Breast cancer patterns in Saudi Arabia (2007–2022): a nationwide cancer registry surveillance study

Background Population-based cancer registry surveillance is essential for monitoring breast cancer burden and guiding cancer control planning; however, national surveillance evidence from Saudi Arabia remains limited. Using the Saudi Cancer Registry (SCR), we describe the distribution of age at diagnosis, geographic location, registry stage, histology, and grade among Saudi women diagnosed with breast cancer between 2007 and 2022. Methods We performed a retrospective descriptive study of all Saudi female breast cancer cases registered in the SCR from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2022. The staging and other demographic variables collected for this analysis were each coded according to SEER guidelines. STATA version 16 was used for analyses, and descriptive statistics are presented as mean (± SD) for continuous variables and frequencies and percentages for categorical variables. Results The average age at diagnosis among 40,755 cases was approximately 50 years. The highest case volume was from Makkah, Riyadh, and the Eastern Province. Invasive ductal carcinoma (no special type) was most common, and grade II/III tumors were the most frequent. At diagnosis, about one-third were localized, while a considerable percentage had regional or distant involvement, with variation by age group and region. Conclusions National cancer registry surveillance show marked regional differences as well as continued incidence of late-stage diagnosis of breast cancer in Saudi Arabia. The findings advocate the need for a stronger emphasis on early detection, enhancing equitable access to diagnosis, and informing regional-specific cancer control planning. Trial registration: Not applicable.