BACKGROUND: Compared to the developed world, there are relatively few studies that describe the tumor biology of breast cancer in African women. While little is known about the tumor biology, clinical and epidemiologic studies suggest that breast cancer in African women are characterized by presentation at late stage and poor clinical outcomes. Analysis of the biological features of breast cancers in Nigerian women was designed to bring additional insight to better understand the spectrum of disease, the phenotypes that present, and the types of interventions that might improve outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed histological analyses for hormone receptors (estrogen and progesterone receptors), HER2, and tumor infiltrating macrophages (TAM) on 17 breast cancers, obtained from Abia State University Teaching Hospital (Aba, Nigeria), between November 2008 and October 2009. On a subset of these cases, we investigated the potential role of a virus in the etiology of these aggressive cancers. RESULTS: The majority of cases in this cohort were characterized as high grade (100% were grade III), triple-negative (65%), and occur in young women (mean age 47 years). We observed high infiltration of TAMs in these tumors, but no evidence of a viral etiology. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that breast cancers in Nigerian women have a highly aggressive phenotype (high grade, hormone receptor negative), which is similar to other studies from Africa and other developing nations, as well as from African American women, but is significantly different from Caucasian women in the developed world. The presence of high numbers of TAMs in these tumors raises the possibility of targeting the immune microenvironment for therapeutic interventions.
BACKGROUND: Compared to the developed world, there are relatively few studies that describe the tumor biology of breast cancer in African women. While little is known about the tumor biology, clinical and epidemiologic studies suggest that breast cancer in African women are characterized by presentation at late stage and poor clinical outcomes. Analysis of the biological features of breast cancers in Nigerian women was designed to bring additional insight to better understand the spectrum of disease, the phenotypes that present, and the types of interventions that might improve outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed histological analyses for hormone receptors (estrogen and progesterone receptors), HER2, and tumor infiltrating macrophages (TAM) on 17 breast cancers, obtained from Abia State University Teaching Hospital (Aba, Nigeria), between November 2008 and October 2009. On a subset of these cases, we investigated the potential role of a virus in the etiology of these aggressive cancers. RESULTS: The majority of cases in this cohort were characterized as high grade (100% were grade III), triple-negative (65%), and occur in young women (mean age 47 years). We observed high infiltration of TAMs in these tumors, but no evidence of a viral etiology. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that breast cancers in Nigerian women have a highly aggressive phenotype (high grade, hormone receptor negative), which is similar to other studies from Africa and other developing nations, as well as from African American women, but is significantly different from Caucasian women in the developed world. The presence of high numbers of TAMs in these tumors raises the possibility of targeting the immune microenvironment for therapeutic interventions.
Authors: Jason J Pitt; Markus Riester; Yonglan Zheng; Toshio F Yoshimatsu; Ayodele Sanni; Olayiwola Oluwasola; Artur Veloso; Emma Labrot; Shengfeng Wang; Abayomi Odetunde; Adeyinka Ademola; Babajide Okedere; Scott Mahan; Rebecca Leary; Maura Macomber; Mustapha Ajani; Ryan S Johnson; Dominic Fitzgerald; A Jason Grundstad; Jigyasa H Tuteja; Galina Khramtsova; Jing Zhang; Elisabeth Sveen; Bryce Hwang; Wendy Clayton; Chibuzor Nkwodimmah; Bisola Famooto; Esther Obasi; Victor Aderoju; Mobolaji Oludara; Folusho Omodele; Odunayo Akinyele; Adewunmi Adeoye; Temidayo Ogundiran; Chinedum Babalola; Kenzie MacIsaac; Abiodun Popoola; Michael P Morrissey; Lin S Chen; Jiebiao Wang; Christopher O Olopade; Adeyinka G Falusi; Wendy Winckler; Kerstin Haase; Peter Van Loo; John Obafunwa; Dimitris Papoutsakis; Oladosu Ojengbede; Barbara Weber; Nasiru Ibrahim; Kevin P White; Dezheng Huo; Olufunmilayo I Olopade; Jordi Barretina Journal: Nat Commun Date: 2018-10-16 Impact factor: 14.919
Authors: Blessing I Bassey-Archibong; Shawn M Hercules; Lyndsay G A Rayner; Desiree H A Skeete; Suzanne P Smith Connell; Ian Brain; Adetola Daramola; Adekunbiola A F Banjo; Jung S Byun; Kevin Gardner; Jonathan Dushoff; Juliet M Daniel Journal: Cancer Causes Control Date: 2017-09-08 Impact factor: 2.506