Breast Cancer among Women in Nigeria: Systematic Review of a 15-Year Prevalence Rate and a Situational Analysis

Introduction: Breast cancer is a growing menace to the world, especially in developing West Africa countries such as Nigeria. Its incidence in Nigeria has been rising and yet so many cases remain undocumented especially due to poor reportage and late presentation. A number of issues and risk factors as identified such as lifestyle habits, social economic status, age and exposure to certain hormones predispose women to breast cancer and several challenges are currently faced in detecting and managing breast cancer in Nigeria especially in the aspect of medical imaging technology, update in treatment and finances.

Objective: The purpose of this analysis is to document and explore the prevalence of breast cancer among women in Nigeria.

Methods: A systematic review was done using the PRISMA review process this resulted in the eventual selection of studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Results: 210 studies were identified for this study after search from reliable data bases with the aid of specific search terms. These were further screened resulting in 14 studies making it to the final stage. Enugu state had the highest recorded prevalence rate of 54.3% with Kogi having the least 6.6%. Mean prevalence rate was 37.7%.

Conclusion: It was observed that studies have shown that the prevalence of breast cancer in most parts of the Nigerian states do not give the true picture as many of these states lack national cancer registries and a few studies have been conducted on this paramount issue.