Complete Remission in Locally Advanced Breast Cancer: What Comprehensive Multi-Modality Treatment Has to Offer in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Locally advanced breast cancer presents as a heterogeneous disease, but it is often best treated with aggressive combined modality therapy. Commonly, it carries a more guarded prognosis. Given the above, it can be a particularly challenging entity to treat in resource-limited settings. We identify one such case with a relative lack of hormone receptor positivity in the sub-Saharan country of Zambia. Management of the disease was hampered by the challenges of resource constraints and communication gaps that are especially acute in low-to middle-income nations as compared to Western societies. However, with skilled interdisciplinary advice and the means available at a tertiary care facility, our patient was able to afford a superior clinical outcome in the form of a pathologic complete response via the use of surgical, systemic, and radiotherapy modalities. Additionally, the ensuing remission was corroborated by a careful follow-up regime. We thus reinforce the feasibility and value of a team-based approach in the management of this disease regardless of the setting.