A study of breast cancer in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital
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Date
2007
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Assessing the impact of health education . Ghana Medical Journal 41(2): 72-77
Abstract
Introduction: Many patients with breast cancer
report late with advanced disease. It is not known
if recent breast awareness education programmes
have led to a change in this trend at the Korle Bu
Teaching hospital (KBTH).
Method: A prospective study of the characteristics
of breast cancer patients seen by a surgical unit at
KBTH over a three year period.
Results: There were 158 patients, 156 females and
2 males. The age group most commonly affected
was 40-49. The upper outer quadrant of the breast
was affected in 67/158 (42.4%) and all quadrants
affected in 29/158 (18.4%). Ninety one (57.6%)
had Stage III – IV disease and the average duration
of symptoms was 10 months. Average tumour size
was 6cm x 7cm. Diagnosis was by triple assessment
with Fine needle aspiration cytology the
most frequently used pathological investigation.
Invasive ductal carcinoma was the commonest
pathological type (115/134). Eighty three (52.5%)
had mastectomy and 12 (7.6%) had wide local
excision. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was given to
77/123 (62.6%), 5 of whom had complete pathological
response. Fifty five (34.8%) were lost to
follow up: 20 before treatment commenced, 15
during or after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and 14
after treatment. Eleven developed lymphoedema.
There were 42 metastatic events affecting 35 patients
during follow-up, including pleura (11),
brain (10) and lungs (9).
Conclusions: Breast cancer continues to affect a
young population and patients still present late
with advanced disease. Education needs to be intensified,
but research into the reasons for late
presentation will help address the reasons/
misconceptions responsible for this state of
affairs.
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Keywords
Breast cancer, Korle Bu, pathology, diagnosis, treatment