Demographics of breast cancer in a small cohort of women in the Caribbean

OBJECTIVES: To address the prevalence and spectrum of breast cancer (BRCA1 and BRCA2) mutations in the Caribbean population. DESIGN AND METHODS: Demographic and clinical pathologic data was collected from 347 women of Afro-Caribbean decent. The cohort included women with breast cancer from the following countries: the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Barbados, Dominica, Trinidad u0026 Tobago and Haiti. RESULTS: The mean age of onset in the cohort was 48.1 yrs. with a mean body mass index (BMI) of 27.7. 70% of breast cancer cases were estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) (n=241) and in Jamaica 27% (n=105) of breast cancer cases were human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive (Her2+). Total Abdominal Hysterectomy Bilateral Salpingo Oophorectomy (TAH-BSO) delayed invasive breast cancer from 48 to 53 years (p=0.005). Parity was a significant factor (p