Frequency of distribution of oestrogen and progesterone receptors positivities in breast cancer cases in Benin-City, Nigeria.

AIMS AND

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of oestrogen and progesterone receptors positivities among histologically diagnosed breast cancer cases at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Nigeria.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

Cases of breast carcinomas in the records of the Department of Histopathology, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, between 2003 and 2007 constitute the materials used for this study. Immunohistochemical staining was done using representative paraffin-embedded blocks (H&E slides assessment) and stained with oestrogen and progesterone antibodies manufactured by Dako Denmark (AS Denmark).

RESULTS

A total of 135 cases were studied. The female to male ratio was 44:1 with an overall mean age of 48.3±13 years. Invasive ductal carcinoma, NOS (not otherwise specified) was the most common histological type (81.5%). Eighty per cent of cases were categorised as grades 2 and 3 tumours. The steroid hormone receptor positivity was 17%. Oestrogen and Progesterone receptor positivity were 14.1% and 9.6% respectively. There was a statistically significant association between hormone receptor status and the grade of tumour (?2 = 6.37, df = 2, p = 0.04).

CONCLUSION

This study shows a relatively low steroid hormone receptor positivity of breast cancer in Benin. This finding portends a poor prognostic effect and it is consequently recommended that steroid hormone receptor status be determined before hormonal treatment in these patients. There is the need to determine the immunohistochemical patterns of breast cancer in other centres that treat breast cancer patients.