Breast cancer survival experiences at a tertiary hospital in sub-Saharan Africa: a cohort study

BACKGROUND: Cancer of the breast is a major health burden and the most common cancer among women worldwide. Though its incidence is fourfold greater in high-income countries, in sharp contrast, mortality rates are greatest among the low-income countries. Early detection linked to appropriate treatment is the most effective strategy to improve survival. The purpose of this study therefore was to establish the survival experiences of women with breast cancer at a Ugandan hospital. METHODS: This study is an observational analytical study. It involved 262 women during the periods 2004 to 2007 and 2010 to 2012. Kaplan Meier method and Cox regression were used to calculate breast cancer mortality and cumulative survival experiences. RESULTS: Sixty-three out of 262 (23 %) deaths were observed; mean age was 45 years, and 91 observations ended on or before follow-up. Luminal B median survival was months. The 5-year cumulative survival was 51.8 %. There were no stage I and II deaths. There were no differences in survival by phenotype adjusted for age, but there were differences for stage IV (p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The cumulative 5-year survival was 51.8 %. The burden of advanced disease and associated mortality were high, and a significant number of patients were lost to follow-up after their first contact.