Characterization of breast cancer subgroups in an African population

Aa, Otu; Io, Ekanem; Mi, Khalil; Ekpo,; Eb, Attah

doi:10.1002/bjs.1800760225

Cited by 11 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Our study provides further evidence that the aggressive behavior of tumors among women of African ancestry might be predetermined at a molecular level. Late presentation reported by some studies (56) may be an augmentative factor rather than a cause of poor outcome.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Frequency of the basal‐like phenotype in African breast cancer

Nalwoga

Arnes

Wabinga

et al. 2007

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Basal-like breast carcinoma has been recognized as a subtype with specific prognostic implications. However, there is a lack of reports about this category of breast tumors in African women. The aim of this study was to explore the basal-like phenotype in breast cancer patients in an African population, and a registry-based series was included from the well-defined Kyadondo County in Uganda (1.7 millions). We studied a total of 65 archival paraffin blocks of invasive breast cancer using antibodies against cytokeratin 5/6 and P-cadherin, and these markers were expressed in 34% of all cases and in 52% of ER (estrogen receptor)-negative tumors. All basal-like tumors were ER negative (p<0.0005) and PR (progesterone receptor) negative (p=0.002). Basal-like breast carcinomas were of a higher histologic grade (p=0.001), had high mitotic counts (p=0.002), and marked nuclear pleomorphism (p=0.002). P-cadherin-positive tumors had a high Ki-67 proliferative rate (p=0.039). In conclusion, the basal-like phenotype is frequent in this African series of breast cancer and is strongly associated with poor prognostic factors. Our findings might be significant in relation to clinical management of these patients, including novel targeted therapy.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 90%

Frequency of the basal‐like phenotype in African breast cancer

Nalwoga

Arnes

Wabinga

et al. 2007

APMIS

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“…Poor prognostic breast cancer has been reported in African women with high ER negative rates (77, 78), higher tumor grades, higher nuclear grades, higher mitotic counts and fast tumor growth rate (5, 79, 80). In view of these facts and a rate of 33% EGFR expression in ER negative tumors in our series, it could imply that ER‐/PR‐ breast tumors might benefit from EGFR‐targeted therapies in order to improve on the poor clinical outcome and low survival rates reported in Ugandan women (13).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Expression of EGFR and c‐kit is associated with the basal‐like phenotype in breast carcinomas of African women

Nalwoga¹,

Arnes²,

Wabinga³

et al. 2008

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Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and c-kit are tyrosine kinase growth factor receptors which are frequently expressed in basal-like breast carcinomas, and tyrosine kinase inhibition is now a promising strategy in treatment of breast cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of EGFR and c-kit in breast cancer with special focus on the basal-like phenotype (BLP) and other prognostic factors in an African population. We analyzed 65 archival tissues immunohistologically. EGFR and/or c-kit were expressed in 55% of basal-like tumors. Expression of EGFR and/or c-kit was strongly associated with high histologic grade (P=0.001), high nuclear grade (P=0.017), high mitotic counts (P=0.002), ER negativity (P=0.003), PR negativity (P=0.007), and HER2 negativity (P=0.014). EGFR and/or c-kit positive tumors were more likely to express the BLP (OR 9.1, CI 2.6-32.0, P<0.0005) than the negative tumors. In conclusion, there is a high expression of EGFR and/or c-kit in basal-like breast carcinoma in this series from Uganda and their expression is associated with features of poor prognosis. More studies are required to assess the clinical significance of EGFR and c-kit in breast cancer patients in Uganda.

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“…Most clinical series from Nigeria and other developing countries suggest that there are differences between the epidemiological characteristics of breast cancer in developing and developed countries [3][4][5][6][7][8], in particular, that the biology of breast cancer in Africans is different from that of non-Hispanic whites in the United States. While there are few systematic international comparisons, studies within the United States suggest that African-Americans have bigger gross tumor size, higher nuclear grade and more extensive tumor necrosis compared with non-Hispanic whites [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%