[Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in Cameroon: a series of 65 cases].

AIM

The objective was to describe the clinical and therapeutic aspects of breast cancer at the Yaounde Gynaeco-Obstetric and Pediatric Hospital, which is a referral centre for gynecological malignancies.

METHODS

It was a retrospective descriptive study over a period of four years, from June 1 2003 to May 31 2007.

RESULTS

Sixty five patients were identified during the study period. The mean age and parity were respectively 42.9 ±13.6 years and 3.9 ± 2.1. The mean age of onset of the first menses was 14.0 ± 1.5 years. Most patients were under 50 (72.3%) and had given birth at least once (89.2%). Non menopausal period (75.4%) and breastfeeding (76.9%) were frequently found. The patients consulted 9.2 ± 3.4 months after the onset of symptoms, with 78.5% of cases arriving at a local advanced clinical stage. Ductal carcinoma accounted for 75.4% of histological types, SBR grades 1 and 2 being the most frequent (89.2%). Chemotherapy (69.2% of the cases) and surgery (67.7% of the cases) often radical (three out of four) were the main treatment modalities used.

CONCLUSION

In Yaounde, breast cancer is often a ductal carcinoma of high histological grade, attacking the quarantine non menopausal woman, who gave birth and breastfed at least once, diagnosed with a local clinical advanced disease. Chemotherapy and surgery are the main therapeutic options implemented.