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Cited by 143Global Cancer Incidence and ScreeningCancer Risks and FactorsBreast Lesions and Carcinomas

The evolving epidemic of breast cancer in sub‐Saharan Africa: Results from the African Cancer Registry Network

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Joko‐Fru, Walburga Yvonne, Jedy‐Agba, Elima, Korir, Anne, Ogunbiyi, Olufemi, Dzamalala, Charles P., Chokunonga, Eric, Wabinga, Henry, Manraj, Shyam +7 more·2020·International Journal of Cancer
DOI 10.1002/ijc.33014
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Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is the leading cause of cancer in sub‐Saharan Africa (SSA) with rapidly increasing incidence rates reported in Uganda and Zimbabwe. However, the magnitude of these rising trends in premenopausal and postmenopausal women is unknown in most African countries. We used data from the African Cancer Registry Network on incident breast cancers in women from 11 population‐based cancer registries in 10 countries representing each of the four SSA regions. We explored incidence changes among women before and after age 50 by calendar period and, where possible, generational effects in this unique sub‐Saharan African cohort. Temporal trends revealed increasing incidence rates in all registries during the study period, except in Nairobi where rates stabilised during 2010 to 2014 after rapidly increasing from 2003 to 2010 (APC = 8.5 95%, CI: 3.0‐14.2). The cumulative risk varied between and within regions, with the highest risks observed in Nairobi‐Kenya, Mauritius and the Seychelles. There were similar or more rapidly increasing incidence rates in women aged 50+ compared to women <50 years in all registries except The Gambia. Birth cohort analyses revealed increases in the incidence rates in successive generations of women aged 45 and over in Harare‐Zimbabwe and Kampala‐Uganda. In conclusion, the incidence of BC is increasing rapidly in many parts of Africa; however, the magnitude of these changes differs. These results highlight the need for urgent actions across the cancer continuum from in‐depth risk factor studies to provision of adequate therapy as well as the necessity of supporting the maintenance of good quality population‐based cancer registration in Africa.

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  • Rapid increases in breast cancer incidence and mortality are seen in transitioning countries in South America, Africa, and Asia as well as in high-income Asian countries (Japan and the Republic of Korea).

    “In contrast, rapid increases in breast cancer incidence and mortality are seen in transitioning countries in South America, Africa, and Asia [50][51][52][53][54] as well as in high-income Asian countries (Japan and the Republic of Korea).55”

    From Global cancer statistics 2022: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. (2024) · cites this paper as [50]

    The Results (section 3.1) report increasing breast cancer incidence across the studied sub-Saharan African registries, with an exception for a period of stabilization in Nairobi. This supports the African incidence portion of the claim. The paper analyzes incidence, not mortality trends, so it does not support the claim of rapidly increasing mortality; the other geographic regions have separate citations in the citing sentence. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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1 of the 46 references couldn’t be matched to a known paper.

Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Boyle P, Parkin DM. Chapter 11. Statistical Methods for Registries. Lyon, France: IARC. https://www.iarc.fr/en/publications/pdfs-online/ epi/sp95/sp95-chap11.pdf. Accessed May 11, 2017.
  2. Prates MD, Torres FO. A cancer survey in Laurenco Marques, Portu- guese East Africa. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1965;35:729-757.

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Authors
Joko‐Fru, W. Y., Jedy‐Agba, E., Korir, A., Ogunbiyi, O., Dzamalala, C. P., Chokunonga, E., Wabinga, H., Manraj, S., Finesse, A., Somdyala, N., Liu, B., McGale, P., Jemal, A., Bray, F., & Parkin, D. M.
Affiliations
  • Nuffield Department of Population Health University of Oxford Oxford UK
  • International Research Center of Excellence, Institute of Human Virology Abuja Nigeria
  • Nairobi Cancer Registry Nairobi Kenya
  • Ibadan Cancer Registry Ibadan Nigeria
  • Blantyre Cancer Registry Blantyre Malawi
  • Zimbabwe National Cancer Registry Harare Zimbabwe
  • Kampala Cancer Registry Kampala Uganda
  • Mauritius Cancer Registry Quatre Bornes Mauritius
  • Seychelles Cancer Registry Victoria Seychelles
  • Eastern Cape Cancer Registry Cape Town South Africa
  • International Network for Cancer Treatment and Research (BE)
  • University of Oxford (GB)
  • American Cancer Society (US)
  • Centre international de recherche sur le cancer (FR)
ORCID
Venue
International Journal of Cancer
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2020-04-30
Volume
147
Issue
8
Pages
2131-2141
ISSN
  • 0020-7136 (ISSN-L)
  • 1097-0215
DOI
10.1002/ijc.33014
OpenAlex
W3017004682
Cited by
143
References
46
Citations by year
2026: 18 · 2025: 34 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 3 · 2013: 1
FWCI
6.23
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • International Journal of Cancer (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Greater South Information System
Funders
  • American Cancer Society
  • Centre International de Recherche sur le Cancer
  • Government of the United Kingdom
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Global Cancer Incidence and Screening
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › Cancer Risks and Factors
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pathology and Forensic Medicine › Breast Lesions and Carcinomas
Keywords
breast cancer incidence, sub-Saharan Africa, temporal trends, premenopausal women, postmenopausal women, birth cohort analysis, cumulative incidence, population-based cancer registry, Nairobi, Uganda, Zimbabwe
MeSH terms
Africa, Age Factors, Breast Neoplasms, Female, Humans, Middle Aged, Registries, Risk Factors, Cohort Studies, Incidence, Premenopause, Epidemics

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