Triple-negative breast cancer among Ghanaian women seen at Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital

Abstract EN

Background.

Women with African ancestry in the United States and in continental Africa have been found to have exceptionally increased frequencies of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), prompting speculation that this risk may have an inherited basis and may at least partially explain breast cancer outcome disparities related to racial/ethnic identity.

Our goal was to evaluate the breast cancers diagnosed in one of the largest health care facilities in western Africa, and to compare the frequencies as well as risk factors for TNBC versus non-TNBC.

Methods.

We reviewed all breast cancer cases that had immunohistochemistry (Novolink Detection system), in 2010.

Results.

The overall study population of 223 breast cancer cases was relatively young (median age 52.4 y), and most had palpable tumors larger than five centimeters in diameter.

More than half were TNBC (130 cases, 58.3%).

We observed similar frequencies of young age at diagnosis, stage at diagnosis, and tumor grade among cases of TNBC compared to cases of non-TNBC.

Conclusion.

Ghanaian breast cancer patients tend to have an advanced stage distribution and relatively young age at diagnosis.

The triple-negative molecular marker pattern is the most common seen among these women, regardless of age, tumor grade, and stage of diagnosis.

Additional research is necessary regarding the causes of TNBC, so that we can elucidate the reasons for its increased prevalence among women with African ancestry.