Socio-demographic and clinical profile of immuno-histochemically confirmed breast cancer in a resource limited country

INTRODUCTION: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in females. It is the most common cause of cancer-related death among women with fatality rates highest in low-income countries. The aim of this study is to determine the socio-demographic and clinical profile of patients with immunohistochemically confirmed breast cancer in a Nigerian tertiary health institution. METHODS: Patients with immunohistochemically confirmed breast cancer were reviewed. The information retrieved was entered into a proforma designed for the purpose of the study. Data was analysed using SPSS version 18.0. RESULTS: The peak incidence of age at presentation was in the 5th decade. More than 50% of the patients were premenopausal and perimenopausal at presentation. Only 11% of the patients presented with breast lumps less than 2 cm in size. Women in the age group 50-59 years are more likely to present with larger breast lumps than women in other groups. More than 50% had clinically palpable lymph node at presentation. Mastectomy (simple mastectomy and modified radical mastectomy) and adjuvant chemotherapy were the main form of treatment. Most of the cases were estrogen receptor negative with majority of them having basal-like subtype. CONCLUSION: Most of the patients in this study were not only young but presented with locally advanced disease. Population screening, adequate health education, improved accessibility and availability of heath care will go a long way to improve the outcome of these patients.