A Retrospective Study on the Prevalence of Breast Carcinoma in the Catchment area of the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka

Abstract

A retrospective study of the prevalence of breast cancer in the catchment area of the University Teaching Hospital (UTH), Lusaka (determined on the basis of the documentation available at the Hospital during a five year period) is presented. A total of 547 breast biopsies were received in the Pathology Department: Breast cancer was the commonest diagnosis with 23%, followed by fibroadenomas 22.5%, inflammatory lesions 11.3% and fibrocystic diseases 8.3%. A total of 627 patients with different cancers attended the Tumour Clinic: the commonest single diagnosis was breast cancer with 109 patients, followed by lymphomas with 70 patients. The Cancer Registry notified 1792 cancer cases and breast cancer was the fourth commonest cancer. Reference is also made to how common breast cancer is in this sub-region of Africa.