Breast Cancer in Rural India: Clinicopathological Patterns, Molecular Subtypes and Challenges in Resource-Limited Settings | Chapter 2 | Medical Science: Updates and Prospects Vol. 5

 

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy among women worldwide and represents a growing public health challenge in India. Rural populations face unique barriers, including delayed diagnosis, limited screening facilities, and restricted access to comprehensive oncology care. This chapter presents a detailed clinicopathological and molecular analysis of breast cancer cases managed at a rural tertiary care centre in Central India over a five-year period. A retrospective evaluation of 150 histologically confirmed breast cancer patients was performed, assessing demographic characteristics, tumour pathology, molecular subtypes, staging, and treatment patterns. The mean age at diagnosis was 47.8 years, with a predominance of advanced-stage and high-grade tumours. Triple-negative breast cancer constituted 55.3% of cases, followed by the Luminal A subtype. All patients underwent surgical management, predominantly a modified radical mastectomy. Adjuvant chemotherapy and hormonal therapy were administered based on receptor status. The results demonstrate a younger age at onset, predominance of advanced-stage disease, high-grade tumours, and a high burden of triple-negative breast cancer, underscoring the urgent need for early detection strategies and improved oncology infrastructure.

 

 

Author(s) Details

Novhil Bramhankar
Bramhankar Multispeciality Hospital, Gondia, Maharashtra, India.

 

Mousumi Saha
Mousumi’s Diet Clinic, Gondia, Maharashtra, India.

 

Pawan Wankhede
Bramhankar Multispeciality Hospital, Gondia, Maharashtra, India.

 

Pranay Akare
Bramhankar Multispeciality Hospital, Gondia, Maharashtra, India.

 

Please see the book here :- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/msup/v5/6838

Addressing Racial Disparities in Quadruple-Negative Breast Cancer: Insights Into Aggressive Biology, Therapeutic Targets, and Prevention Strategies |Chapter 3 | Disease and Health: Research Developments Vol. 7

Black/African-American (AA) women, relative to their White/European-American (EA) counterparts, experience disproportionately high breast cancer mortality. Central to this survival disparity, Black/AA women have an unequal burden of aggressive breast cancer subtypes, such as triple-negative breast cancer (ER/PR-, HER2-wild type; TNBC). TNBC is inherently more clinically aggressive than the other breast cancer subtypes as evidenced by the higher frequency of metastasis and recurrence within 5 years of diagnosis. While TNBC has been well characterized, recent studies have identified a highly aggressive androgen receptor (AR)-negative subtype of TNBC, quadruple-negative breast cancer (ER/PR-, HER2-wildtype, AR-; QNBC). QNBCs are significantly more aggressive than AR-positive TNBCs. QNBC is increasingly recognized as an aggressive, hard-to-treat breast cancer subtype. Similar to TNBC, QNBC disproportionately impacts Black/AA women and likely plays an important role in the breast cancer survival disparities experienced by Black/AA women. Here, a discussion has been developed on the racial disparities of QNBC and molecular signaling pathways that may contribute to the aggressive biology of QNBC in Black/AA women. This study intends to spotlight potential prevention and therapeutic targets for Black/AA QNBC; ultimately the goal of this study is to provide greater insight into reducing the breast cancer survival burden experienced by Black/AA women. Non-genetic risk factors include lifestyle, socioeconomic status, access to quality oncological care, reproductive factors, anthropometrics, and comorbidities have long been reported to contribute to the gap in survival rates between Black/AA and White/EA women with breast cancer. The Potential Role of Non-Genetic Risk Factors in the Racially Disparate Burden in QNBC is also discussed here. Addressing the racial disparity in the highly aggressive breast cancer subtype, QNBC could significantly contribute to reducing the racially disparate burden of breast cancer.

 

Author (s) Details

 

Nikita Jinna
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.

 

Tijana Jovanovic- Talisman
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA and Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.

 

Mark LaBarge
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA and Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.

 

Rama Natarajan
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA and Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.

 

Rick Kittles
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA and Beckman Research Institute of City of Hope, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.

 

Christopher Sistrunk
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.

 

Padmashree Rida
Novazoi Theranostics, Salt Lake City, UT 84105, USA.

 

Victoria L. Seewaldt
City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center, Duarte, CA 91010, USA.

 

Please see the book here:- https://doi.org/10.9734/bpi/dhrd/v7/4732