Open AccessHormone Receptors and Her2 Expression in Breast Cancer in Sub‐ S aharan A frica. A Comparative Study of Biopsies from G hana and N orway
Author(s) -
Adjei Ernest K.,
OwusuAfriyie Osei,
Awuah Baffour,
Stalsberg Helge
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the breast journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.533
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1524-4741
pISSN - 1075-122X
DOI - 10.1111/tbj.12261
Subject(s) - medicine , breast cancer , norwegian , estrogen receptor , oncology , endocrine system , hormone , cancer , hormone receptor , gynecology , physiology , philosophy , linguistics
Abstract Hormonal treatment of breast cancer is effective only in patients whose tumors express estrogen and/or progesterone receptors ( ER , PR ). Receptor assessment is often not available in low‐resource areas, and the choice may be to apply endocrine therapy to all or none of breast cancer patients, depending on the proportion of patients that can be expected to respond. Fifty‐one invasive breast cancers from G hana and 100 from N orway diagnosed in the same laboratory during the same time period were reexamined in a blinded slide review. Of G hanaian tumors, 76% were ER + (≥1% ER + tumor cells). Of N orwegian tumors, 85% were ER +. Triple‐negative tumors were seen in 22% of G hanaian patients and in 7% of N orwegian patients. A review of previous similar studies in sub‐ S aharan patients shows very discrepant results. Standardization and quality control of receptor assessment and well‐designed clinical trials in sub‐ S aharan A frican breast cancer patients are needed to give a sound basis for endocrine treatment in this area.