Epidemiological, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Aspects of Locally Advanced and/or Metastatic Breast Cancers at the Chu-Mel of Cotonou

Introduction: Breast cancer mortality remains high in most developing countries. Benin Republic does not yet have a technical platform required for the diagnosis and effective management of breast cancer “according to the recommendations”. Objective: To study the epidemiological, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of locally advanced and/or metastatic breast cancers at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire-de la Mère et de l’Enfant Lagune (CHU-MEL) of Cotonou from 2018 to 2021. Study Methods: This was a retrospective cross-sectional study with a descriptive purpose, carried out from January 1, 2018 to September 30, 2021 in the Gynaecology-Obstetrics Section of the CHU-MEL of Cotonou. The study population was patients diagnosed with locally advanced and/or metastatic breast cancers. Results: At the end of the study, 63 cases of locally advanced and/or metastatic breast cancer were recorded in 80 cases of breast cancer; a 74.11% prevalence of locally advanced and metastatic breast cancer. The mean age of the patients was 42.6 years. The main reason for consultation was the discovery of a mass in the breast (65.1%). Clinically, an orange peel was noted in 39.6%. Mammography (47.6%) and breast ultrasonography (42.9%) were the reference imaging workups for breast cancer diagnosis. Histopathologically, infiltrating ductal carcinoma (94.1%) was the predominant type with Scarff-Bloom and Richardson (SBR) grade II found in 35.3%. Progesterone and estrogen receptors were present in 42.9%. Mastectomy with axillary node dissection was the surgical treatment performed (80%) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (39.6%). Only one patient had received radiotherapy. No patient received hormone therapy. Conclusion: Locally advanced and metastatic cancers remain a real public health problem. It is essential that major investments be made in order to improve both their diagnosis and management.