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. 2008 Jul 8;99(1):63-7.
doi: 10.1038/sj.bjc.6604435. Epub 2008 Jun 24.

Cancer of the breast: 5-year survival in a tertiary hospital in Uganda

A Gakwaya  1 , J B Kigula-Mugambe, A Kavuma, A Luwaga, J Fualal, J Jombwe, M Galukande, D Kanyike
Affiliations

Cancer of the breast: 5-year survival in a tertiary hospital in Uganda

A Gakwaya et al. Br J Cancer. .

Abstract

The objective was to investigate survival of breast cancer patients at Mulago Hospital. A retrospective study of the medical records of 297 breast cancer patients referred to the combined breast clinic housed in the radiotherapy department between 1996 and 2000 was done. The female/male ratio was 24 : 1. The age range was 22-85 years, with a median of 45 years and peak age group of 30-39 years. Twenty-three percent had early disease (stages 0-IIb) and 26% had metastatic disease. Poorly differentiated was the most common pathological grade (58%) followed by moderately differentiated (33%) and well-differentiated (9%) tumours. The commonest pathological type encountered was 'not otherwise specified' (76%). Of all patients, 75% had surgery, 76% had radiotherapy, 60% had hormonotherapy and 29% had chemotherapy. Thirty-six (12%) patients received all the four treatment modalities. The 5-year survival probabilities (Kaplan-Meier) for early disease were 74 and 39% for advanced disease (P=0.001). The overall 5-year survival was 56%, which is lower than the rates in the South African blacks (64%) and North American whites (82-88%).

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Age distributions.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Stage at presentations.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Pathological grades.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Treatment modalities.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Survival probabilities (Kaplan–Meier).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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