Building pathology capacity in sub-Saharan Africa to improve breast cancer diagnosis and treatment: training laboratory technicians in high-quality manual immunohistochemistry.

BACKGROUND: To address the need for a skilled workforce in breast cancer (BC) pathology in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), we implemented an education program to train laboratory technicians in manual immunohistochemistry (IHC). METHODS: A quality improvement education project was developed. Interactive webinars were held every six months with didactics and presentations from African experts with experience in IHC. We conducted knowledge assessments and surveys on current practice, equipment, and human resources. A digital mentorship platform (DMP) was created for discussions, sharing SOPs, and networking. For one year (2022-2023), we followed developments in pathology capacity, practice changes, and educational needs. A paired t-test was used to calculate the significance of changes in knowledge immediately after the webinar and comfort level with topics 35 days after the webinar. RESULTS: Two hundred and sixty six participants from 10 SSA countries attended the first webinar, a series of six lectures on IHC theory, methods, and practice. Ninety-five participants from nine SSA countries provided a baseline assessment of pathology capacity and feedback. Mean knowledge increased by 17.4% immediately after the webinar (from 41.8% pre-webinar to 59.2% post, p = < 0.0001). Self-reported comfort level in topics 35 days after the webinar increased by 11.3%, but this was not statistically significant (mean 3.36 pre- to 3.74 post, p = 0.1). Over six months, recordings were accessed 412 times. After six months, the second webinar had 93 participants from eight SSA countries. Membership in the DMP increased from 64 to 172; recordings were viewed 412 times in six months; and 113 participants from nine SSA countries completed surveys. Among 74 respondents who perform IHC, 43.5% reported moderate or significant positive practice changes such as improved antigen retrieval techniques and optimization of preanalytical variables. Over half (52.7%, n = 39) reported the quality of slides had moderately or significantly improved. After one year, a third webinar had 98 participants from eight SSA countries. Thirty-eight completed surveys, DMP membership increased to 199, and 1 reported launching IHC in a lab in Nigeria. CONCLUSIONS: Our program 1) reached hundreds of participants and provided a baseline assessment of pathology capacity across nine SSA countries; 2) created a novel mechanism to build pathology capacity and assess progress with this cohort; and 3) improved practices and the preparation of slides for over half performing manual IHC. After one year, interest was sustained. Tracking impact on diagnosis and treatment of BC in the region is needed long-term.

Immunohistochemistry-derived subtypes of breast cancer distribution in four regions of Ethiopia.

Purpose: Different biological characteristics, therapeutic responses, and disease-specific outcomes are associated with different molecular subtypes of breast cancer (BC). Although there have been different studies on BC in the Ethiopian capital city of Addis Ababa, there have been few studies in other parts of the nation, and none have evaluated biological characteristics in other locations in the context of the extensive ethnic and genetic diversity found in Ethiopia. This study was carried out to evaluate the distribution of immunohistochemistry (IHC) subtypes of BCs throughout four Ethiopian regions. Methods: A total of 227 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks were collected from tertiary hospitals in four Ethiopian regions between 2015 and 2021. The IHC staining was performed for subtyping, ER, PR, HER2, and Ki-67 proliferation markers. Results: The mean age at diagnosis was 43.9 years. The percentage of ER and PR-negative tumors were 48.3% and 53.2%, respectively. The IHC subtypes showed the following distribution: 33.1% triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), 27.6% luminal B, 25.2% luminal A, and 14.1% HER2 enriched. In multiple logistic regression analysis, grade III and HER2 positivity were associated with larger tumor size, and also originating from Jimma compared to Mekele. Conclusion: Patients with ER-negative, PR-negative, and TNBC were found in 48.3%, 53.2%, and 33.1% of cases, respectively, showing that half the patients could potentially benefit from endocrine treatment. A considerably high prevalence of TNBC was reported in our study, demanding additional research that includes genetic predisposition factors. Additionally, aggressive tumors were found in a high percentage of younger age groups, which must be considered when planning personalized treatment strategies.

Clinicopathological Features of Invasive Breast Cancer: A Five-Year Retrospective Study in Southern and South-Western Ethiopia.

Background: Breast cancer (BC) is the most common type of cancer in Ethiopia. The incidence of BC is also rising, but the exact figure is still poorly known. Therefore, this study was conducted to address the gap in epidemiological data on BC in southern and southwestern Ethiopia. Materials and Methods: This is a five-year (2015-2019) retrospective study. The demographic and clinicopathological data were collected from biopsy reports of different kinds of breast carcinomas in the pathology department of Jimma University Specialized Hospital and Hawassa University Specialized Referral Hospital. Histopathological grades and stages were conducted using Nottingham grading and TNM staging system, respectively. Collected data were entered and analyzed using SPSS Version-20 software. Results: The mean age of patients at diagnosis was 42.27 (SD = 13.57) years. The pathological stage of most BC patients was stage III, and most of them had tumor sizes greater than 5 cm. Most patients had moderately differentiated tumor grade, and mastectomy was the most common type of surgery at the time of diagnosis. Invasive ductal carcinoma was the most common histological type of BC, followed by invasive lobular carcinoma. Lymph node involvement was seen in 60.5% of cases. Lymph node involvement was associated with tumor size (χ2 = 8.55, p = 0.033) and type of surgery (χ2 = 39.69, p < 0.001). Conclusions: This study showed that BC patients in southern and southwestern Ethiopia displayed advanced pathological stages, relatively young age at diagnosis, and predominant invasive ductal carcinoma histological patterns.

A Rare Case of Intestinal Tuberculosis with Chronic Partial Small Bowel Obstruction in a 37-Year-Old Ethiopian Man.

Tuberculosis (TB) is a chronic granulomatous inflammatory disease that affects any part of our body. TB is a significant problem in developing countries. Intestinal TB accounts for 2% of TB cases worldwide. Terminal ileum and cecum are the two commonly affected regions because of abundant lymphoid tissue, physiologic stasis, limited digestive activity and increased fluid and electrolyte absorption rate. Intestinal obstruction is the leading complication of intestinal TB, and it occurs because of intestinal luminal narrowing, multiple strictures or adhesions. The clinical presentation of patients with intestinal TB and post-TB intestinal obstruction is non-specific. It can be acute, chronic, or acute on chronic. Uncomplicated cases of intestinal TB can be managed medically. Surgery is reserved for complicated cases of intestinal TB, which includes peritonitis, intestinal obstruction and perforations. Here, we present a 37-year-old man who presented with long-standing, intermittent crampy abdominal pain and vomiting. He was diagnosed with chronic partial small bowel obstruction secondary to possibly small bowel carcinoma. We did segmental ileal resection and end-to-end ileo-ileal anastomosis. Postoperatively, the histopathology result turned out to be intestinal TB. This case report aims to make physicians aware of the rare condition of small bowel obstruction secondary to intestinal TB. Clinicians need to have a high index of suspicion in any patient with long-standing symptoms of partial obstruction and consider surgery and anti-TB once diagnosed.

A Rare Case of Calcified Simple Mesenteric Cyst in a 70-Year-Old Woman.

Mesenteric cysts are one of the rare causes of intra-abdominal masses. They account for 1 in 100,000 cases in adults and 1 in 20,000 cases in children. Mesenteric cysts are commonly found in the small intestine, up to 60% of cases, and occasionally in the colon. The clinical presentation of patients with mesenteric cysts is so variable and nonspecific. It ranges from being asymptomatic to features of acute abdomen very rarely. Surgery is the treatment of choice. Complete excision with negative margins plays a curative role in avoiding the risk of recurrence as well. Here, we present the case of a 70-year-old woman who came to Hawassa University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital with abdominal swelling for a 5-month duration. She had an abdominal ultrasound, which suggested a calcified mesenteric cyst with internal hemorrhage. The patient was taken to the OR with the impression of an intra-abdominal mass for exploratory laparotomy. The mass was completely excised and was subjected to pathology, which turned out to be a calcified simple mesenteric cyst, and the purpose of this case report is to alert physicians that although the preoperative diagnosis of mesenteric cysts is difficult, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a patient presenting with an intra-abdominal mass.