Department of Biochemistry

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    Age-specific patterns of breast cancer in Nigerian women unraveled through histological analysis
    (Scientific Reports, 2025) Effiong, Magdalene Eno; Chinedu, Shalom Nwodo; Afolabi, Israel Sunmola; Ezike, Kevin Nwabueze; Oguntebi, Emmanuel Eyitayo; Abdul, Oluwasesan Adelowo; Achusi, Izuchukwu Benerdin; Benye, Tolulope Aanuoluwapo; Omunagbe, Mercy Bella; Ogbodo, Peace Nzubechukwu
    Sub-Saharan African women face a high burden of breast cancer, influenced by genetic and lifestyle factors. However, the lack of comprehensive, age-stratified data hinders the identification of risk factors and the development of effective, population-specific interventions. This study aimed to assess age-related variations in breast cancer prevalence among Nigerian women, providing insight into associated risk factors and disease trends. A retrospective review of 3,263 breast histopathology records (9.46% of total from 2015 to 2023) was conducted. Lesions—benign and malignant—were analyzed across five age groups: children and adolescents (0–19), young adults (20–39), middle-aged (40–59), higher-aged (60–79), and elderly (≥ 80), using MS Excel and GraphPad Prism 8.0. Statistical comparisons were performed by age and lesion type. Most cases were in young adults (45.97%) and middle-aged women (33.83%). The left breast was more commonly affected (46.86%) and had higher malignancy rates than the right (44.41%) or bilateral lesions (7.20%). Benign lesions were predominant (56.76%), especially among young adults (57.34%). Malignancy incidence increased with age, peaking in middle-aged women (53.30%). Fibroadenoma was the most frequent benign lesion in children and adolescents and young adults, while fibrosis predominated in middle age. Invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) was the leading malignant subtype, with a sharp rise by 2023—particularly among middle-aged (172 cases) and young adult women (71 cases). Among 339 immunohistochemically profiled cases, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC; 42.77%) and ER+/PR+ tumors (36.87%) were most common. TNBC was the only subtype detected in children and adolescents. Middle-aged women bore the highest burden of all subtypes, with a marked increase in TNBC and ER+/PR+ cases in 2023. The rising incidence of aggressive subtypes, particularly TNBC, highlights the need for enhanced molecular diagnostics and personalized therapies. Age-specific trends reinforce the urgency for targeted screening, especially for young and middle-aged Nigerian women.
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    ASSESSMENT OF FGFR2 AND FGFR4 POLYMORPHISMS IN NIGERIAN BREAST CANCER PATIENTS
    (Covenant University Ota, 2025-09) OGBODO, Peace Nzubechukwu; Covenant University Dissertation
    Breast cancer (BC) persists as the most frequently occurring cancer in females, with a growing incidence percentage in sub-Saharan Africa. BC has been correlated with FGFR2 and FGFR4 genetic variations in different populations. However, the data on Nigerian women are scarce. This study investigated the association of FGFR2 rs1219648 (A>G), FGFR2 rs2981582 (A>G), and FGFR4 rs351855 (G>A) with BC risk in a Nigerian cohort. A case-control design was employed involving 75 BC cases and 75 controls. Using blood samples, genomic DNA was extracted, and SNP genotyping was conducted with the use of TaqMan® allelic discrimination assay. Genotype and allele frequencies comparison was conducted using chi-square, odds ratios, and Fisher’s exact tests. The FGFR2 rs1219648 G allele was significantly more common (48.0%) in cases than controls (35.3%), with the GG genotype conferring a significant increase in risk (OR = 2.61, 95% CI: 1.07 - 6.64, p = 0.039). FGFR2 rs2981582 showed no significant genotype-level association, but the minor A allele was more common in cases (43.2%) than controls (31.3%) (p = 0.045). FGFR4 rs351855 was not significantly associated with BC. None of the SNPs showed association with tumour immunohistochemical subtypes. The findings identify FGFR2 rs1219648 as a significant risk factor for BC in Nigerian women and highlight the need for larger, multi-centre studies to validate these associations.