PREVALENCE OF BREAST LESIONS AMONGST FEMALES ATTENDING RIVERS STATE UNIVERSITY TEACHING HOSPITAL PORT HARCOURT; A FIVE-YEAR REVIEW
Abstract
Breast lesions, encompassing both benign and malignant forms, pose a significant public health concern worldwide. In Nigeria, particularly in Rivers State, the burden of breast lesions is substantial, yet comprehensive and current data on their prevalence, distribution, and determinants are lacking. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of breast lesions with age in Rivers State University Teaching Hospital (RSUTH) over a five-year period and to assess the association between the prevalence of breast lesions and age among female patients. Data collection involved reviewing medical records, with specific attention to patient demographics, lesion types, and histopathological results. Archived tissue blocks were obtained from female patients with breast lesions that attended RSUTH between the years 2019-2023. Tissue blocks were re-embedded, and sections were made using a semi-automated rotary microtome at 5 microns, stained with Harris Haematoxylin and Eosin stains. The data generated from this study were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 20 and the data were expressed as descriptive analysis (frequency and percentage), and inferential analysis (Chi-Square) also the mean ages and standard deviations were collected for both benign and malignant cases. The test was considered significant at p-value less than 0.05. The study found that malignant cases constituted 347 with a prevalence rate of 51.0% out of the total breast lesion cases (681) with a mean age ± SD were 46.68 ± 12.82, underscoring the critical need for effective cancer management and early detection strategies. Benign cases accounted for 334 with a prevalence rate of 49.0% out of the total breast lesion cases (681) with a mean age ± SD were
28.68 ± 12.47. The age group 41-50 years had the highest number of malignant cases (17.9%), followed by the 31-40 years age group (12.6%), for benign cases, age group
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