Work

The Impact of Hormone Receptor Testing on Breast Cancer Treatment in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Year: 2021

Type: preprint

Abstract: BackgroundHormone receptor (HR) testing was not available for tailoring treatment of breast cancer in Tanzania until 2015. The aim of this study was to compare effect of introducing HR testing on breast cancer treatment in Tanzania. MethodsThis retrospective study included 2 groups of breast cancer patients treated at Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) before introducing HR (2007-2009 and 2014 – 685 patients), and after HR introduction (2015-2017 –765 patients). Demographic, epidemiologic and clinical data were abstracted from the medical records of patients. Chi-Square and Wilcoxon rank sum analyses were used to compare treatment in the two periods. ResultsStage at diagnosis did not differ significantly by ER status (12.4% vs. 7.3%, stages I and II combined, 13.4% vs. 19.3% for stage III, and 30.7% vs 37.0% for stage IV with p-values of 0.08, 0.21, and 0.44, respectively). The proportion of patients who received both neoadjuvant chemotherapy alone (29.2% vs 28.1%) and adjuvant chemotherapy (53.5% vs 48.4%) did not differ significantly by ER status, (p=0.64 and p=0.29, respectively). After implementing ER testing, the proportion of patients who did not receive radiotherapy differed by ER status (43.6% vs 32.8%, p=0.04). Furthermore, approximately 13% of ER-negative patients received endocrine therapy, compared to 60% of ER positive patients (p < 0.0001).DiscussionThese finding suggest that there have been significant changes in breast cancer treatment practices since the introduction of hormone receptor testing. However, further research is needed to determine how hormone receptor status can be used to optimize standardized treatment protocols for patients diagnosed with breast cancer in Tanzania and other low-income countries that are taking steps to improve their breast cancer management practices and protocols.

Source: Research Square

DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-700718/v1