Breast cancer risk in patients with breast pain in Accra, Ghana.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the risk of breast cancer in patients presenting with breast pain in Accra, Ghana.

DESIGN

Retrospective clinical study.

SETTING

A self-referral breast clinic in Accra, Ghana.

SUBJECTS: Patients with breast pain as a presenting complaint, between January 2001 and December 2005.

INTERVENTIONS: Patients were investigated by triple assessment.

RESULTS

There were 447 patients with pain, 322 as the only symptom and 125 in addition to other symptoms like breast lump and nipple discharge. Patients with pain only were found to have no detectable abnormality 203 (63%) and fibroadenosis 78 (24.2%) as the most common diagnoses. Breast cancer was found in four (1.24%) of them, all of whom had abnormality on clinical breast examination. In patients with pain as well as other symptoms the common diagnoses were fibroadenosis 25 (20%), breast cancer 20 (16%) and normal 18 (14.4%).

CONCLUSION

The risk of breast cancer is significantly higher in patients presenting with breast pain in addition to other symptoms, compared to patients with breast pain as the only symptom (16% and 1.24% respectively P < 0.0001). Patients with breast pain should always have breast examination and not simply reassured. Women should be encouraged to do breast self examination.