The Yield from Routine Chest X-Rays in Stage 3 Breast Cancer Patients

Context: Cancer of the breast is a common malignancy in Nigerian women and various imaging examinations, including the chest radiograph are routinely requested in all patients with this disease.Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the positive yield from routine chest radiographs in Nigerian patients with locally advanced stage 3 breast cancers but who had no clinical symptoms or signs of pulmonary or pleural metastatic disease. Methods: This descriptive retrospective study evaluated clinical records and chest radiographs of 61 female Nigerian patients with local stage 3 histologically diagnosed breast cancers, who presented at the radiotherapy unit of the University College hospital, Ibadan, over a 12-month period. Allabnormalities on the chest radiographs were documented.Results: The ages of the study group ranged from 25 to 67 years with a mean of 47years. Fortyseven (77%) of the patients had normal chest radiographs. Of the 14 abnormal radiographs, bilateral lung parenchymal metastases were seen in 4 cases one of whom also had bilateralpleural effusion. Other abnormal findings included hilar adenopathy, right lower lobe collapse, lymphagitis carcinomatosis and cardiomegaly.Conclusion: The authors conclude that a 23% detection rate from these screening chest radiographs is high and should be recommended as over 70% of Nigerian Patients with breast cancers present with advanced tumors

OUTCOME OF CHEMORADIATION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF A NIGERIAN CHILD WITH MAXILLARY NEUROBLASTOMA

Abstract Neuroblastoma is the most common of the extracranial solid tumours of childhood and infancy, we present the report of a patient diagnosed with Neuroblastoma of the Maxillary antrum at 3 years of age, who is clinically stable and disease free twelve years post treatment

Pattern Of Paediatric Malignancies Seen At The Radiotherapy Department Of The University College Hospital, Ibadan, Nigeria

Background: Paediatric tumours are seen by the radiotherapist following referral from other specialists. Patients seen by the radiotherapists may not conform to the full spectrum seen in the hospital. Objective: To review the pattern of presentation of paediatric malignancies seen at the radiotherapy department of the UCH, Ibadan. Methods: Retrospective study of all patients below the age of 12 seen in Radiotherapy Department of UCH, Ibadan over a 19-year period was undertaken. Data were collected from the case files and the radiotherapy treatment cards. Results: 244 cases were evaluated with age ranged between 4 months and 12 years. Male to female ratio was 1.15 to 1.0. 23 tumour types were seen with retinoblastoma accounting for about 45% of all the patients reviewed. Burkitt\'s lymphoma accounted for only about 2.5%. Conclusion: Retinoblastoma, nephroblastoma, intracranial malignancies and rhabdomyosarcoma are the tumours most commonly seen at the Radiotherapy Department of the UCH, Ibadan. NQJHM Vol. 17 (4) 2007: pp. 152-15

Cranial computed tomographic findings in Nigerian women with metastatic breast cancer

Introduction: Brain metastases (BM) occur in up to one-fifth of patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Imaging plays a key role in diagnosis. The pattern and distribution of these changes are also crucial to their management. These patterns have not been fully studied in Nigerian women. Materials and Methods: Retrospective analysis of the findings on the cranial Computed Tomography (CT) scans performed in 59 breast cancer patients with suspected BM treated at the University Teaching Hospital in Ibadan, between 2005 and 2010. The imaging features were evaluated in relation to their clinical characteristics. Results: In the 59 patients studied (mean age 50.9 years ± 11.75 SD), headache (40.7%) and hemiparesis/hemiplegia (16.9%) were the commonest clinical presentation. Lytic skull lesions were seen in 15 patients (25.4%), most commonly in the parietal bones. Thirty-nine patients (66.1%), had parenchymal brain lesions, and only 8 (20.5%) of these were single lesions. Most of the lesions were isodense (19/39; 51.4%) the parietal lobe was the most common site with 50.8% (30/59) occurrence and the leptomeninges the least with 13.6% (8/59). Orbital or sellar region involvement occurred in only two patients. The size of the lesions, was <2 cm in 17 (28.8%), 2-5 cm in 14 (23.7%) and >5 cm in 5 patients. Sixteen (27.1%) patients were free of any lesion either in the skull or brain. Patient presenting with multiple brain lesions were more likely to have skull lesions though this was not statistically significant ( P = 0.584). Conclusion: The brain continues to be a sanctuary site for breast cancer metastases and CT imaging remains an invaluable tool in the clinical evaluation and therapeutic management of Nigerian women with BM from MBC. It also appears that the demographic and imaging findings in these patients are similar to other racial groups