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INTRODUCTION: Management outcome of osteosarcoma as a primary bone malignancy is challenged in Ghana by many factors. We presented two male patients; aged 18 and 14 years, respectively, who were referred to the Tamale Teaching Hospital with advanced right knee tumors. Both patients had above knee amputation as part of treatment. The tumors were confirmed histologically as fibroblastic variants of osteosarcoma. The patients died within the immediate post-operative period without the initiation of the appropriate chemotherapy. CONCLUSION: Unacceptable delay diagnosis and management of cancers worsened survival of patients. Education of patients, health workers and others along the patient management chain on the need early reporting and accurate diagnosis and management are recommended.
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OBJECTIVES: To evaluate breast cancer in Ghanaian women and to compare these findings with those of previous studies by using histopathologic data. METHODS: A review of all breast cancer specimens from January 2005 through December 2009 in our institution was conducted. RESULTS: Of 4,109 female breast specimens reviewed, 1,342 (32.7%) were malignant. Mean (SD) patient age was 50.3 (13.3) years, and mean size of the primary tumors was 4.5 cm. Eighteen (1.3%) specimens were malignant phyllodes tumors. Significant positive associations were found between size of the primary tumor and histologic type (P = .01), histologic grade (P = .001), nodal involvement (P < .001), and TNM stage (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: More than 3 decades after the first publication of breast cancer in Ghanaian women, patients are still presenting with large clinically and histologically advanced invasive cancers.