Study reveals Ghanaian and U.S. Black women face similar risks of aggressive ER-negative breast cancer

A recent study published in JAMA Network Open has revealed that Ghanaian women and U.S. non-Hispanic Black women have nearly identical rates of estrogen receptor (ER)-negative breast cancer, an aggressive form of the disease. The findings suggest that shared biological or environmental risk factors linked to West African ancestry may be at play.

The cross-sectional study compared breast cancer incidence among women in Ghana and the United States, finding that both groups had higher rates of ER-negative tumours than U.S. non-Hispanic White women.

Prof. Daniel Ansong of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, was among the distinguished co-authors of the study, which analysed data from 1,071 Ghanaian women aged 18 to 74 and more than 121,000 U.S. women between 2013 and 2015.

The study reported that the age-standardised incidence rate of ER-negative breast cancer was 42.3 per 100,000 women in Ghana and 43.1 per 100,000 among U.S. non-Hispanic Black women, compared with 24.0 per 100,000 among U.S. non-Hispanic White women.

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In contrast, ER-positive breast cancer, a more treatable form, was far less common in Ghana, with an incidence rate of 42.1 per 100,000, compared with 105.4 per 100,000 for U.S. non-Hispanic Black women and 128.5 per 100,000 for White women.

Led by Dr Brittny C. Davis Lynn from the National Cancer Institute and colleagues from the Ghana Health Service, the study emphasises that women of West African ancestry may share underlying susceptibilities to ER-negative breast cancer.

“Understanding these shared susceptibilities is crucial to improving prevention and treatment outcomes for women of African descent globally,” the authors noted.

ER-negative tumours tend to occur at younger ages and are often more aggressive than ER-positive types, highlighting the need for tailored screening and awareness strategies, particularly in African populations where data have historically been limited.

The researchers call for further studies to identify genetic, environmental, or lifestyle factors contributing to the higher prevalence of ER-negative breast cancer among women of African ancestry