Detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) and expression of cell-cycle markers in breast carcinoma in a cohort of South African patients

• Main Author: Fenwick, Sharon
• Other Authors: Govender, Dhiren
• Format: Dissertation
• Language: English
• Published: University of Cape Town 2014
• Subjects: in Anatomical Pathology
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/3077

Includes abstract. === Includes bibliographical references. === Breast carcinoma is a common cancer in South African women. In the Republic of South Africa, 41 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed per 100 000 population and the mortality rate is 21 per 100 000 population. Many risk factors have been implicated in the carcinogenesis of this disease; including smoking, family history and hormones, however, this only accounts for about 1/3 of the cases diagnosed. Some studies have implicated Human papillomavirus (HPV) as a possible aetiologic agent in the pathogenesis of breast carcinoma however the results have been inconsistent and sometimes controversial. This study was designed to determine the presence of HPV in breast cancer in a South African cohort and to investigate its influence on the cell cycle. A retrospective and prospective cell block study was undertaken.