Breast cancer clearly has very different features in Africa and it is very likely that this is due to molecular and genetic differences that likely need different treatments, but research is very limited. Chronic infections like malaria and human papilloma virus (HPV) are suspected as factors that may drive the biology of breast and other cancers, but more research needs to be done.
We are designing protocols to elucidate these factors through comprehensive pathologic and genomic analysis, with capacity-building training to improve infrastructure for understanding and acting on the results of this research. One project currently in development is “Assessing Lipocalin-2 Expression in Breast Cancer in Rwanda and its Relationship to Residual Cancer Burden and Treatment Response.”