Epidemiological characterization of benign and malignant breast tumors in a Senegalese population
1 Department of Animal Biology, Faculty of Science and Technology (FST), Cheikh Anta Diop University of Dakar (UCAD), Dakar, Senegal.
2 Laboratory of Genomic, Cheikh Anta Diop University, Animal Biology, Dakar-Fann, Senegal.
Research Article
International Journal of Life Science Research Archive, 2026, 10(01), 133-143.
Article DOI: 10.53771/ijlsra.2026.10.1.0024
Publication history:
Received on 05 February 2026; revised on 14 March 2026; accepted on 16 March 2026
Abstract:
Breast cancer is a growing burden in sub-Saharan Africa, with epidemiological characteristics that differ from those seen in Western populations. This study, conducted in Senegal, aimed to characterize the profiles of benign and malignant breast tumors by analyzing clinical and demographic parameters.
The retrospective and prospective study involved 48 women divided into three groups: controls (n=19), benign tumors (n=12), and malignant tumors (n=17). Data were collected via questionnaires and entered into an Excel spreadsheet, then analyzed using SPSS v23.
The results reveal a significantly earlier age at diagnosis for cancers (peak at 30-45 years) and a very young age for benign lesions (majority between 13-21 years), confirming the young profile of patients in West Africa. An overwhelming majority of cancers (70%) were diagnosed at an advanced stage (III/IV), partly explaining the almost systematic use of surgery (84% of cases) as the main treatment, due to the lack of widespread access to adjuvant therapies. A slight predominance of benign tumors in the right breast (54%) was noted. The ethnic distribution among malignant cases showed a predominance of the Peul (47%), Wolof (23%), and Manding (18%) groups.
The study concludes that there is an urgent need for appropriate public health policies, including screening campaigns targeting young women (from the age of 30), strengthening diagnostic (anatomopathology, genetics) and therapeutic (radiotherapy, chemotherapy) capacities, and continuing research on the specific determinants in the Senegalese and African context.
Keywords:
Breast cancer; Benign tumor; Malignant tumor; Senegal
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Copyright © 2026 Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Liscense 4.0