Lessons about Breast Cancer and African-Ancestry Learned at the 10-Year Anniversary of the Ghana-Michigan Partnership

A subtype of the global population that is at a higher risk of being told they have aggressive breast cancer are those with African ancestries, especially those who live in Africa and the US. This cancer when tested, gives negative outcomes for the HER 2/neu markers, as well as the estrogen and progesterone receptors. This kind of tumor is called a triple negative breast cancer variety.

• Economic issues can be a difficulty in dealing with, and defining cancer rates in Africa: Thanks to financial difficulties, data available may be limited. Though breast cancer is an increasing issue, the health care system in these nations are already overworked and they have trouble affording programs for earlier detection as well as multi disciplinary ones. Breast mortality rates are higher for black women compared with Caucasian ones, and the former are diagnosed with breast cancer when they are young. This among other things has given rise to speculating that having African ancestries means that there might be a higher chance of being diagnosed with cancer.
• Stem cell theory says that a breast tumor’s risk of spreading is through stem cells: According to the theory, the identification and characterization of the stem cells in the mammary can be used to help treat the disease, and that all these cases can provide an insight into treating aggressive triplenegative breast cancer.
• Role of international organizations:The International Breast Registry has managed to expand its data to enable the inclusion of African Americans, Ghanaian Africans, as well as Caucasian patients. The partnership between Ghana and Michigan organizations has also helped to develop early detection programs.

Such an international association can ensure that quality research is done to help treatment in the oncology sector. If more such partnerships are created, they could help in the fight to cure breast cancer.