Epidemiological Clinical and Histological Aspects of Gynecological and Breast Cancer in Pointe Noire (Congo Brazzaville)

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: The objective of our study was to determine the epidemiological clinical and histological aspects of gynecological and breast cancers in Pointe-Noire. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective descriptive study that took place in the cancerology and internal medicine department during the period from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2021, i.e. a period of 10 years. Women with histological diagnosis of gynecological and breast cancers were included in our study. The variables studied were: frequency, age, alcohol and tobacco consumption, histological type, stage of extension, location of cancer. Bivariate analysis was done between age and location of the tumour. The statistical test used was the KHI2 test. The results were statistically significant for a value of p RESULTS: We collected 400 files from women with cancer. Among the 400 files, 265 were represented by gynecological and breast cancers, that is a frequency of 65.43%. Among the 265 cases of gynecological and breast cancer identified during this study period, breast cancer represented the first rank with 52% frequency. Cervical cancer accounted for 41% followed by ovarian cancer (5%) and endometrial (2%). Cancer of vulva was represented by a single case. The average age of patients with gynecological and breast cancers during our study was 52 ± 12 years. The average age of patients with cancer of the breast, cervix, ovarian, endometrial was respectively 49 ± 11.97 years, 54.73 ± 12.91 years old, 50 ± 14 years, 67 ± 14.24 years, the age of the vulva cancer patient was 51 years old. The histological type of breast cancer was represented by infiltrating ductal adenocarcinoma in 91% of cases, invasive lobular carcinoma in 7% and sarcoma in 2%. Cervical cancers were represented by squamous cell carcinomas in 95% of cases and adenocarcinomas in 5% of cases. Vulva cancer was represented by squamous cell carcinoma, ovarian cancer was represented by epithelial tumors (adenocarcinoma) in 100% of cases. Endometrial cancers were represented by endometrial adenocarcinoma. All cancers were diagnosed at advanced stages (locoregional and metastatic stage). Patients over the age of 50 had more gynecological and breast cancers; but this result was not significant. CONCLUSION: Gynecological and breast cancers are frequent and constitute the first cancer of Congolese women in Pointe-Noire. Breast cancer is the first cancer followed by cancer of the cervix and ovaries. The histological types are those of the literature. Patients with gynecological and breast cancers consult at very advanced stages.