The worldwide variation of BRCA mutations is well known. The c.68_69delAG, c.181T>G, c.798_799delTT mutations in BRCA1 were observed in Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian Breast Cancer families and were described founder mutation in Northern Africa. The 943ins10 is also recognized a founder mutation in West Africa. To our knowledge no study has been published on BRCA1/2 germline mutations and hereditary breast cancer (HBC) in population of Burkina Faso. The aim of the present study (first in Burkina Faso) was to screen for these four mutations in 15 unrelated patients with HBC. Mutation analysis was performed by Sanger sequencing of coding exon2, Exon5 and exon11A sequences of the BRCA1 gene. Blood specimens of 15 patients from Burkina Faso, with HBC were collected at the University Hospital Yalgado OUEDRAOGO (CHU-YO) of Ouagadougou in Burkina Faso. c.68_69delAG (exon2), c.181T>G (exon5), c.798_799delTT and 943ins10 (exon11) mutations were not detected in any of the 15 women diagnosed with family breast cancer history. Genetic analysis in this study, we show that targeting relevant exons in BRCA1 genes did not allow detection of mutations in the population of Burkina Faso. Therefore, such an approach may be of interest to perfom a complete sequencing of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes in families at a high risk of developing breast cancer in Burkina Faso.

IntroductionBreast cancer is a common cause of death among women in Burkina Faso. The aim of this study was to determine a descriptive profile of 80 women and establish a description of risk factors associated with breast cancer in these women.MethodsThis cross-sectional study recruited women with breast cancer in Ouagadougou. Teaching Hospital Yalgado Ouedraogo in Burkina Faso from January 2015 to February 2016. We have collected data on socio-demographic characteristics, reproductive status, clinical information, treatment and molecular characteristics.ResultsThe average age of the study population was 48.2±12.4 years. Family history of breast cancer was reported in 18.75% of the studied participants against 16.25% family history for other types of cancer. Patients from urban areas represented 87.5% of our studied population with 58.75% of household, multiparous (55.0%), no aborts status (56.2%), post-menopausal women (53.75%), no oral contraception (63.75%), regular menstrual cycle (71.25%) and the prevalence of obesity was 12.5%. The clinical and molecular characteristics showed that left-sided breast cancer accounted for 51.25 %, high grade (II and III) represented 93.75 % of cases and the majority of tumors were infiltrating ductal carcinomas (93.75%) with stages III and IV accounted for 50.0%.ConclusionThis study described the distribution of risks factors in a population of breast cancer women. Although more research are needed to support these findings, a clear understanding of risk factors associated with breast cancer would contribute to significantly reduce breast cancer incidence and mortality in Burkina Faso.

Objective: Gynaecological cancers are public health diseases and contribute to the global burden of diseases. In West Africa most have been carried out on all gynaecological and breast cases to describe the epidemiological features and management modalities.Methods: Our research covered a period from 1998 to 2018. The terms “gynaecological cancers” and “West Africa”; are used to find records in the research databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect, Scopus and Google Scholar). There are countries (Cape Verde, Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone) in which we have not found any work in the research databases. The process for selecting studies followed selection steps based on PRISMA 2009. Result: Cervical cancer is the commonest, followed by breast cancer, ovarian cancer, uterine or endometrial cancers, vaginal cancer and vulvar cancer. The lowest common was tubal cancers. The two English-speaking countries, Nigeria and Ghana, recorded 60 (60.82%) and 16 (15.68%) articles published respectively. At the same time, these two countries reported the most cases of gynaecological cancers including 72,848 cases (68.97%), 12, 327 cases (11.67%) and 12, 021 cases (11.38%) for Nigeria, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana respectively. West Africa countries are characterised by poor outcome due to ignorance, superstition, self-denial, late presentation and unavailability of treatment facilities. Conclusion: Our study suggests that comprehensive national health insurance schemes as well as preventive strategies, patient and health work force education may improve the current situation. Also, West African countries must necessarily have a policy of acquiring the technical platforms to carry out these diagnostic and prognostic examinations.

The Objective was to assess the knowledge and practical abilities of final year nursing and midwifery students in health schools of Ouagadougou relating to screening and early diagnosis of breast cancer. This is a cross-sectional, prospective and descriptive observational study conducted from 1st November 2014 to 31st January 2015. A sample of 403 students was used for this study. Data were collected using an individual questionaire and were typed on Epi data and then analyzed on SPSS software. Chi-square tests were used to compare the different proportions. The difference is considered to be significant if p value < 0.05. Three hundred and ninety nine students filled the questionnaire, i.e. a rate of non-respondents of 1%. All students were aware of the existence of breast cancer. The media (47.8%) was the main source of information. The level of knowledge of students was satisfactory with frequencies of 83.9% for risk factors; 91.6% for clinical signs; 83.4 % for screening methods and 88.1% for therapeutic terms of breast cancers. However, focus should be put on the teaching of cancerology and the supervision of students during internship, must be reinforced. These results attest that the level of students in the knowledge and practical abilities concerning screening and early diagnosis of breast cancer is satisfactory.

BackgroundDermatofibrosarcoma protuberans is a rare tumor, representing about 0.1% of skin malignant tumors. It is characterized by local aggressiveness with significant potential for recurrence. Although metastasis is rare, it does occur. We report a case of a Burkinabe woman with dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.Case presentationA 27-year-old Burkinabe woman consulted our institution for a recurrent scalp nodule that had been evolving for 13 years. At clinical examination, she was in good condition with a dry cough. An atrophic scarring alopecic plaque of 15-cm diameter in the right parietal region of the scalp, topped by an erythematous firm nodule measuring 3 × 2 × 2 cm, was noted, as well as a mobile nodule located in the axillary tail of the right breast. Cerebral computed tomodensitometry had not objectified the reach of the vault or the brain. A thoracic scan revealed four intrathoracic tissue masses straight to pleural touch. There were no evolutionary lesions in the abdominopelvic region. Histopathologic examination of the biopsy of the scalp nodule showed a proliferation of fibrous background, with fusiform cells carrying a storiform appearance. These cells had dark, elongated nuclei and showed some mitosis without atypia. The cells expressed CD34 intensely and diffusely. The test results were negative for PS100 and smooth muscle actin. The breast nodule showed the same profile as the scalp nodule.ConclusionsWe concluded on the diagnosis of scalp dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans with breast metastasis and probable pleuropulmonary metastasis.