Preliminary data about female malignant breast tumours in Cambodia

Breast cancer is the most frequent cancer among women and the most frequent cause of cancer death in women in both developing and developed countries. However, little is known about the situation in Cambodian women living in Cambodia.

To describe the different histological types of invasive breast cancer, their frequency, grade and stage and their surgical management in Cambodia.

A retrospective study of female breast primary invasive malignant lesions processed during 2003 and 2004 in the pathology laboratory of the 'Institut Pasteur du Cambodge', in Phnom Penh, was carried out with conventional histology techniques.

A total of 102 patients were included, with an average age of 47. Most specimens were tumour excisions or mastectomies. Tumours were generally large (37.5 % at least T3), distributed into carcinomas (94.2 %), phyllodes tumours (3.9 %) and lymphomas (1.9 %). Most cases of carcinoma presented with histological grade III (76.6%) and were invasive ductal (82.3%) or medullary (11.4%) in type. Lymphadenectomy was not systematic but nodal metastases were observed in 26 of 31 (83.9%).

Late diagnosis of the disease is due to absence of systematic breast cancer screening and awareness. Apparent rarity of lobular carcinoma and over frequency of medullary carcinoma and phyllodes tumours should be confirmed on a larger series of patients using immunohistochemistry. Its use for other markers to help oncologists to decide whether anti-hormone treatment is indicated is also recommended, together with more standardized surgery.