Breast cancer in eastern Nigeria: a ten year review.
BACKGROUND
Breast cancer, although reported to be the commonest female malignancy world-wide has not been extensively studied in Eastern Nigeria.


METHODS
A study started in 1987 enrolled all patients with breast disease seen in the author's practice in 4 hospitals located in Eastern Nigeria. Record's of patients with breast cancer were extracted for this report.


RESULTS
Patients with breast cancer comprised 30% of all patients with breast disease with a male: female ratio of 1:67. The mean age was 44 years with a peak in 35-39 year range. Ninety-one percent of the patients were married, 69% premenopausal, 90% of the female patients were parous (Ave.. 5.35; range 1-11), 57% of these parous patients had their first full term pregnancy under 20 years of age and 90% had lactated. 64% had advanced disease on presentation (Manchester III & IV), the commonest sites of distant metastasis being vertebral column and lungs. 5% had bilateral disease at presentation, 4% gave a positive family history and 12% gave a history of previous benign breast disease. The commonest histological diagnosis was infiltrating ductal carcinoma. Only 7% presented within 1 month of discovery of symptoms while 15% waited longer than 1 year.


CONCLUSIONS
Breast cancer in Eastern Nigeria follows a pattern similar to other parts of the third world with late presentation in mainly multiparous premenopausal patients. Efforts at public health education to encourage earlier presentation should be encouraged.
Anyanwu
S N
SN
Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Nnewi Nigeria.
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D010298:Parity; D011159:Population Surveillance; D017697:Premenopause; D017678:Sex Distribution