Histological Type and Tumour Grade in Nigerian Breast Cancer: Relationship to Menarche, Family History of Breast Cancer, Parity, Age at First Birth, And Age at Menopause

Abstract

s: Background: The high burden of disease due to breast cancer has continued to have its toll on global health, without exception to Nigeria. The menace of late presentation, with resultant poor survival rates, may be better contained, with improved understanding of the disease characterization in our local settings. Objective: to determine the distribution of tumor grades and histologic types of breast cancer, in Calabar Methodology: retrospective study of eighty-one (81) cases, with use of hospital records Results: Most of the patients were young, with a mean age of 45.06 years, and 30-39 years being the commonest age group (38.3%). They were mostly non-menopausal (72.6%) urban residents (72.2%). As in similar local and international studies, invasive ductal carcinoma was the most prevalent histologic type (85.2%). Grade 3 tumors were most prevalent (66.7%), while grade 1 tumors were least commonly seen (9.9%), with no significant difference in tumor grades across the various socio-demographic and notable risk factors. Recommendations And Conclusion: high prevalence of late stage presentation in our young women is a cause of public health concern, with urgent need for early detection, especially through wide coverage of breast cancer education and screening programs. In-depth interviews, with further case-control studies using larger samples, is required for better understanding of the determinants of tumor grades and histologic types, towards disease prevention and effective health service delivery.