Debunking Myths About Breast Cancer in Africa

Strategic Insights -

There are many misconceptions surrounding breast cancer, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, where the disease is prevalent but often mismanaged due to socio-economic factors. An advertising campaign in the US has perpetuated the myth that 1 in every 8 women will develop breast cancer during their lifetime, a statistic that is far from accurate in Africa. In South Africa, for example, the lifetime risk of a black woman developing breast cancer is 1 in 43. Researchers aim to use scientific research to directly benefit patients and dispel these myths, highlighting four misconceptions facing women with breast cancer in Africa.

Key Takeaways:

  • Breast cancer has many different forms, based on the expression of proteins on the surface of the tumour cell called receptors. There are three main types: hormone receptor-positive, HER2-positive, and triple-negative breast cancers.
  • The distribution of different types of breast cancer varies across African countries and regions, with triple-negative breast cancers being most common in west Africa and hormone receptor-positive cancers being more common in east and southern Africa.
  • A study of over 1,000 breast cancer patients in Johannesburg found that 55% had hormone receptor-positive cancers, 27% had HER2 disease, and 14% were triple-negative breast cancers.
  • There are well-established treatment options for hormone receptor-positive and HER2-positive breast cancers, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, and more recently, immunotherapy and PARP inhibitors.
  • HIV infection is not directly linked to breast cancer, but HIV-positive patients with hormone receptor-positive cancers have worse outcomes, highlighting the need to address the stigma around breast cancer and HIV.

Statistics:

  • The lifetime risk of a black woman in South Africa developing breast cancer is 1 in 43.
  • 55% of breast cancer patients in Johannesburg had hormone receptor-positive cancers, 27% had HER2 disease, and 14% were triple-negative breast cancers.
  • Women from east and southern Africa are more likely to have hormone receptor-positive breast cancers, while women from west Africa are more likely to have triple-negative breast cancers.
  • A study of over 1,000 breast cancer patients in Johannesburg found that 55% had hormone receptor-positive cancers, 27% had HER2 disease, and 14% were triple-negative breast cancers.

Sources:

  • The Conversation -- Africa -- By Raquel AB Duarte, Associate Professor; Head of Translational Research, University of the Witwatersrand
  • Mil-OsI -- Global Reports -- Copyright 2024 Multimedia Investments Ltd, distributed by Contify.com
  • African Organization for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) Beginning Investigator Grant for Catalytic Research
  • SA-MRC, CANSA, and NIH funding for research on breast cancer and HIV in South Africa