Breast cancer subtypes in Southern Africa

In collaboration with the South African and Namibian national cancer registries, researchers at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have conducted the largest scale study to date to examine subtypes of breast cancer in Africa, defined by estrogen, progesterone and, uniquely, human epidermal growth factor-2 receptor status. The study included more than 12 000 histologically confirmed breast cancer patients and benefited from multiracial populations as well as routine at-diagnosis receptor determination. The results of the study, published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, have important implications for research, early detection and treatment priorities for the growing burden of breast cancer in this region.

C. Dickens, R. Duarte, A. Zietsman, H. Cubasch, P. Kellett, J. Schüz, D. Kielkowski, V. McCormack.
Racial comparison of receptor-defined breast cancer in Southern African women: subtype prevalence and age-incidence analysis of nationwide cancer registry data.
Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention (2014); doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-14-0603, Published online 20 August 2014.Read article