CLINICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN PATIENTS WITH BREAST PATHOLOGY TREATED IN PORTUGAL: A RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY jfmarques@ulslo.min-saude.pt

 

CLINICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN PATIENTS WITH BREAST PATHOLOGY TREATED IN PORTUGAL: A RETROSPECTIVE COHORT STUDY

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Portugal

Poster Exhibition only

Breast pathology represents a significant healthcare burden in Sub-Saharan Africa, with limited diagnostic and treatment resources often necessitating international medical cooperation. This study aimed to characterize the demographic, clinical, and pathological features of Sub-Saharan African patients with breast pathology treated in Portugal.

We conducted a retrospective cohort study analyzing 57 female patients from Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP) referred to Portugal for breast pathology evaluation and treatment. Patients were categorized into benign (n=33) and malignant (n=24) pathology groups. Demographic characteristics, reproductive history, clinical presentation, diagnostic evaluation, pathological findings, and treatment approaches were analyzed.

The mean age was 37.5 years for patients with benign pathology and 42.5 years for those with malignant pathology. In the malignant group, 29.2% presented with metastatic disease (stage IV), while an equal proportion (29.2%) presented with early-stage disease (up to stage IIb). Most patients (95.8%) with malignant pathology were symptomatic upon referral, with palpable breast mass being the predominant presenting symptom. The mean time to first consultation in Portugal was 52.72 days for patients with benign pathology. Only 54.2% of malignant cases required surgery in Portugal, with the remainder having undergone surgical intervention in their country of origin.

This study highlights the diverse spectrum of breast pathology in patients referred from Sub-Saharan Africa to Portugal, ranging from benign conditions to advanced malignancy. The equal distribution of early and late-stage malignancies suggests potential opportunities for optimization of referral criteria. These findings may inform international medical cooperation strategies and resource allocation for breast pathology management.