ASPO Abstracts
The Effect of Hormone Receptor Status on Breast Cancer Treatment in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
Category: Global Cancer Research
Conference Year: 2019
Abstract Body:
IntroductionBreast cancer is the leading cancer in women globally. Women in developing nations experience high mortality rates due to late diagnoses and lack of access to care. Research suggests that African women are more likely to have estrogen receptor (ER) negative tumors. The aim of the present study was to determine the effect that knowledge of hormone receptor status would have on breast cancer treatment in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.MethodsThis study was a retrospective analysis of cases that sought treatment at Ocean Road Cancer Institute from 2007-2009, 2014, 2015, and 2016-2017. Data were abstracted from medical records in 2016 and 2017, and data from previous studies conducted by Taylor Sullivan and Ashley Burson (2009) were used in the analysis. ResultsAmong 1450 breast cancer cases, 63.6% of women were diagnosed in stage 4. A total of 93.5% of the patients received chemotherapy and 90.7% of the patients received surgery. ER negative breast cancer was found in 33% of women. In the time before the introduction of hormone receptor status testing, 19.3% of women received neoadjuvant chemotherapy compared to 12.1% in the time after (p<0.0001). Additionally, 48.1% of women received adjuvant chemotherapy in the time before the introduction of hormone receptor status while 53.2% or women received similar treatment in the time after (p=0.036). The proportion of people who received hormone therapy differed significantly between the two groups as well; where 15% people received hormone therapy in the time before hormone receptor status was introduced compared to 12% in the time after (p<0.0001). ConclusionThese finding suggest that there have been significant changes in treatment protocols for breast cancer patients in the time before and after the introduction of receptor status. However, further research is needed in order to determine how hormone receptor status can be used to optimize standardized treatment protocols for patients diagnosed with breast cancer.
Keywords: Breast Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment