Open Access Peer-reviewed Research Article

Breast carcinoma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Characterization of hormone receptors

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Submitted   Dec 20, 2023
Published   Mar 26, 2024
Issue    Vol 5 (2023)
DOI   10.25082/CCR.2023.01.006

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Guy Ilunga Nday
Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Manix Banza Ilunga
Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Anasthasie Umpungu Ngalula
Department of Anatamopathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Olivier Mukuku corresponding author
Institut Supérieur des Techniques Médicales de Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Jules Thaba Ngwe
Department of Anatamopathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract

Purpose: Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease, and understanding its characteristics is crucial for effective treatment. Therefore, this study aims to investigate breast carcinomas as a function of hormone receptors (estrogen and progesterone) in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which can contribute to better management of breast cancer cases in the country.
Methods: We conducted an analytical cross-sectional study from 2014 to 2016 in the cities of Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. Using non-random sampling, we collected 86 cases of breast carcinoma.
Results: The study found that out of the 86 cases of breast carcinoma, 33 patients (38.3%) had both types of hormone receptors (ER+/PgR+), while 37 patients (43.0%) had negative results for both receptor types (ER-/PgR-). Additionally, 15 patients (17.4%) had only estrogen receptors. The study did not find any significant association between the presence of estrogen receptors and patient age, T stage, histological type, and Ki67 proliferation index. However, the study did observe that estrogen receptors were significantly more present in grade I and II tumors (74.4%) than in grade III tumors (40.4%) (Odds ratio=4.3 [1.7-10.8]; p=0.003).
Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate a high prevalence of hormone receptors in breast cancer cases in the DRC. Additionally, the study revealed a significant association between the presence of estrogen receptors and tumor grade, underlining the relevance of these markers in the characterization and treatment of the disease.

Keywords
carcinoma, breast cancer, hormone receptors

Article Details

How to Cite
Nday, G. I., Ilunga, M. B., Ngalula, A. U., Mukuku, O., & Ngwe, J. T. (2024). Breast carcinoma in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Characterization of hormone receptors. Current Cancer Reports, 5(1), 187-192. https://doi.org/10.25082/CCR.2023.01.006
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

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