Breast Cancer Patterns and Surgical Oncology Practice in a Low-Income Setting of Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of the study was to highlight epidemiological and clinical specificities of BC in our setting as well as surgical management approaches. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in the surgical oncology unit of the Dalal Jamm University Hospital from January to July 2023. Dalal Jamm University Hospital is a teaching hospital based in Dakar, Senegal. Results: The median age for BC was 45 years (37-54). The main histological types of BC were invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and invasive lobular carcinoma (ILC) with respectively 95.1% and 4.9% of cases. SBR grades 2 and 3 were more common with respectively 78% and 19.5% of cases. BC was locally advanced in 65.9% of cases and metastatic in 31.7% of cases. Modified radical mastectomy (MRM) was the main surgical management approach with 97.6% of cases followed by lumpectomy or breast-conserving surgery (BCS) with 2.4% of cases. Conclusion: The mean age of BC in sub-Saharan African populations is relatively younger than European and American ones. Furthermore, women present with advanced stages of disease explaining higher rate of NAC in African setting than Europe and America. Finally, MRM is the most common surgical management procedure in sub-Saharan Africa whereas it is BCS (lumpectomy) in Europe and America.