Browsing by Author "Nsiah-Asare, A."
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Item African ancestry and higher prevalence of triple-negative breast cancer: findings from an international study(Cancer, 2010) Stark, A.; Kleer, C.G.; Martin, I.; Awuah, B.; Nsiah-Asare, A.; Takyi, V.; Braman, M.; Quayson, S.E.BACKGROUND The study of breast cancer in women with African ancestry offers the promise of identifying markers for risk assessment and treatment of triple-negative disease. METHODS African American and white American women with invasive cancer diagnosed at the Henry Ford Health System comprised the primary study population, and Ghanaian patients diagnosed and/or treated at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana constituted the comparison group. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded specimens were transported to the University of Michigan for histopathology confirmation, and assessment of estrogen and progesterone receptors and HER-2/neu expression. RESULTS The study population included 1008 white Americans, 581 African Americans, and 75 Ghanaians. Mean age at diagnosis was 48.0 years for Ghanaian, 60.8 years for African American, and 62.4 for white American cases (P =.002). Proportions of Ghanaian, African American, and white American cases with estrogen receptor-negative tumors were 76%, 36%, and 22%, respectively (P < .001), and proportions with triple-negative disease were 82%, 26%, and 16%, respectively (P < .001). All Ghanaian cases were palpable, locally advanced cancers; 57 (76%) were grade 3. A total of 147 American women were diagnosed as stage III or IV; of these, 67.5% (n =46) of African Americans and 44.6% (n = 29) of white Americans were grade 3. Among palpable, grade 3 cancers, Ghanaians had the highest prevalence of triple-negative tumors (82.2%), followed by African Americans (32.8%) and white Americans (10.2%). CONCLUSIONS Our study demonstrates progressively increasing frequency of estrogen receptor-negative and triple-negative tumors among breast cancer patients with white American, African American, and Ghanaian/African backgrounds. This pattern indicates a need for additional investigations correlating the extent of African ancestry and high-risk breast cancer subtypesItem Overview of preparedness and response to COVID-19 in Ghana(Ghana Med j, 2021) Sarkodie, B.; Asiedu-Bek, F.; Laryea, D.O.; Ampofo, W.K.; Philips, R.O.; Samba, A.; Aboagye, D.; Nsiah-Asare, A.; Asamoah-Baah, A.; Odame, E.; Ohene, S.; Amoako, Y.A.; Kuma-Aboagye, P.The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Ghana is part of an ongoing pandemic caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first two cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in Ghana on 12th March 2020. COVID-19 was consequently declared a Public Health Emergency of National Concern, triggering several response actions, including enhanced surveillance, case detection, case management and contact tracing, closure of borders, suspension of international flights, ban on social gatherings and closure of schools. Pre paredness and response plans were activated for implementation at the national, regional, district and community levels. Ghana’s Strategic approaches were to limit and stop the importation of cases; detect and contain cases early; expand infrastructure, logistics and capacity to provide quality healthcare for the sick; minimise disruption to social and economic life and increase the domestic capacity of all sectors to deal with existing and future shocks. The health sector strategic frame focused on testing, treatment, and tracking. As of 31st December 2020, a total of 535,168 cases, including 335 deaths (CFR: 0.61%), have been confirmed with 53,928 recoveries and 905 active cases. All the regions have reported cases, with Greater Accra reporting the highest number. The response actions in Ghana have seen high level political commitment, appropriate and timely decisions, and a careful balance of public health interventions with economic and socio-cultural dynamics. Efforts are ongoing to intensify non-pharmaceutical interventions, sustain the gains made so far and introduce COVID-19 vaccines to reduce the public health burden of the disease in Ghana