Abstract
Breast cancer presents a substantial health challenge in Africa and marked by a continuous rise in its incidence and prevalence. The complexities of managing breast cancer on the continent are exacerbated by limited access to healthcare resources and high rates of late-stage disease at initial diagnosis. Recent studies comparing hypofractionated radiotherapy (HFRT), considered cost-effective and non-inferior to conventional fractionated radiotherapy (CFRT), have shown no significant differences in outcomes. This underscores the potential significance of HFRT in breast cancer treatment. Despite encouraging findings from researchers in developing countries, there is a noticeable lack of data on HFRT outcomes, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. This retrospective study analyzed individuals diagnosed with early, locally advanced or oligometastatic cancer, and who underwent treatment between January 2010 and December 2020 at Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital in the KwaZulu Natal Province of South Africa. Relevant clinical treatment details and follow-up information were retrieved from the patients' medical electronic records. This retrospective study included 645 breast cancer patients, categorized into early (37.7%), locally advanced (59.9%), and oligometastatic (2.4%) stages. Treatment modalities included surgery (100%), chemotherapy (77.8%), endocrine therapy (38.8%), and targeted therapy (4.8%). All patients received radiotherapy, with a predominant utilization of HFRT (83.7%) over CFRT (16.3%). Notably, there was no statistically significant difference (p=0.91) observed in survival probability between patients who received HFRT and CFRT. The findings of this study suggest that, in a low-income setting, HFRT does not exhibit a significant variance in survival outcomes compared to CFRT for breast cancer patients. However, to validate this conclusion, additional large-scale randomized clinical trials are imperative.
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