Perception, management and pharmacoeconomics of breast cancer in the North West region of Cameroon

Abstract

Breast cancer (BC) is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide, with an annual incidence of about 1.7 million (11.9%). In Africa and Cameroon, BC accounts for 28% and 33.4% respectively of all cancers, hence it is a health and an economic burden. This study was conducted to investigate the perception and practice of breast self-examination among breast cancer patients, evaluate the pharmacoeconomics of chemotherapy against phyto-therapy and to relate these to the stage of presentation at hospital. A cross-sectional survey was carried out on 75 tradi-practitioners in the North West Region who treat BC and on 85 BC patients who attended the Regional Hospital Bamenda. Pharmacoeconomic analyses were done on the cost of treatment of BC using each of the health interventions. The structured questionnaires had four sections labelled A through D. Section A of both questionnaires demanded background information from the participants such as their location (village), type of community, the date of interview and the consent; Section B demanded demographic characteristics of the participants; Section C was concerned with the management of breast cancer; Section D contained questions whose responses enabled the researcher to calculate the cost of treatment. From the study, 15.3% of respondents knew and practised BSE. The mean delay before presentation for medical evaluation was 10.9 months for those who knew and practiced BSE, the average costs of treating BC by chemotherapy and by phyto-therapy were $3,042 and $1,500 respectively. We conclude that BSE greatly influences the stage of presentation of BCPs at the hospital for consultation, with those who know and practise it having a lower mean delay of presentation at the hospital for treatment. We also conclude that the treatment of breast cancer using plant preparations is apparently less costly than by conventional chemotherapy but with no evidence in the delay of time-to-metastasis.

Keywords: Knowledge, pharmacoeconomics, breast cancer, breast self-examination, chemotherapy, phyto-therapy