Isaac D. Gukas¹, Anne C. Girling², Barnabas. M. Mandong³, Wendy Prime⁴, Barbara A. Jennings¹ and Samuel J. Leinster¹

¹School of Medicine, Health Policy and Practice, University of East Anglia, Norwich, NR47TJ, U.K. ²Department of Histopathology, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital, Colney lane, Norwich. ³Pathology, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos, PMB 2076 Jos, Nigeria. ⁴Cancer Tissue Bank Research Centre, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, U.K.

Abstract

Background: Some studies have suggested that breast cancer in black women is more aggressive than in white women. This study’s aim was to look for evidence of differences in tumour biology between the two cohorts.

Methods: This study compared the stage, grade and pathological expression of five immunohistochemical markers (oestrogen receptor [ER], progesterone receptor [PR], ERBB2, P53 and cyclin D1 [CCND1]) in tumour biopsies from age-matched cohorts of patients from Nigeria and England. Sixty-eight suitable samples from Nigerian (n =  34) and British (n =  34) breast cancer patients were retrieved from histology tissue banks.

Results: There were significant differences between the two cohorts in the expression of ER and CCND1; and stark differences in the clinical stage at presentation. But no significant differences were observed for tumour grade.

Conclusion: There was a signifi cantly, low ER expression in the Nigerian cases which also predicts a poor response to hormonal therapy as well as a poorer prognosis. Differences in clinical stage at presentation will most likely influence prognosis between Nigerian and British women with breast cancer.