The Immunohistochemical Profile of Breast Cancer in Indigenous Women of Southeast Nigeria

Objective: To evaluate the hormone receptor status of breast cancer in indigenous women of southeast Nigeria. Materials and Methods: We collected data on clinical parameters and histologic characteristics - from case notes and histology reports - of women diagnosed of breast cancer and paid for immunohistochemical analyses of their formalin-fixed, paraffin wax-embedded tissue cassettes for hormone receptor status. The relevant clinical data and histologic and immunohistochemical characteristics were analyzed using predictive analytical software, version 17 (IBM, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA). Comparisons of discrete data were done using Chi-square test, with levels of significance being set at P ≤ 0.05. Result: Within the 6 years study period, 1,410 breast surgical cases were received; 28.2% (397/1,410) of which were diagnosed as breast cancers. Ultimately, 31% (123/397) of these women had IHC (ER, PR, and HER-2/neu) done on their specimens. The age range of the women was 24 to 85 years with a mean of 46.3 years. Approximately 61% (75/123) of the women were pre-menopausal. More than a third of the cancers were triple negative, 40.7% (50/123). Conclusion: We conclude that there is higher proportion of triple negative breast cancers compared to other parts of the world with therapeutic implications.