Breast cancer recurrence rate in patients treated for early breast cancer.

Abstract

e12508 Background: Recurrence rates for early breast cancer vary in different studies from 7% to 18%. Recurrent breast cancer is associated with poorer outcome and higher mortality rates. The recurrence rate in the Kenyan population remains unknown despite high prevalence of known risk factors. Methods: Single institution retrospective study of all women (18 -75 years) treated for early breast cancer at a single center private tertiary unit from 2009 to 2017. Results: 239 patient records were reviewed. The mean age at diagnosis was 51 (SD13.1). 98% of women presented with a palpable breast lesion. The molecular sub-type’s prevalence was: ER/PR+ (76%), triple negative (12.1%), HER2+ (2.9%). The overall recurrence rate was 7.2%, 66% recurrences were loco-regional, while 27% were metastatic disease, with 61% of the recurrences being detected initially on clinical/ self-breast examination. 77% of the recurrences were in women with ER/PR+ molecular sub-types. Recurrences in women with DCIS (2/27) were invasive breast cancers. There were no identified risk factors on uni-variate and multivariate regression analysis which conferred a risk of breast cancer recurrence. Discussion: The mean age at diagnosis in this group is younger than the western average (65 - 75 years). Majority of the women presented with symptoms – a presentation that differs from that of countries with a national breast cancer screening program. The molecular distribution of breast cancers is comparable to western populations. Conclusions: Recurrence rate for early breast cancer in this series is 7.2%, which is comparable with documented western data, with majority of the recurrences being detected initially on clinical/self-breast examination.