Study about Oncogenic Human Papillomavirus in Breast Cancer: An Approach towards Molecular Prevalence in a Group of Congolese Patients

Background: Since the Band’s work of in 1990, several studies have suggested a possible link between the pathogenesis of breast cancer and viral infection. Infection with a cancer-causing agent HPV is one of the viruses that has been linked to breast cancer cases all over the world.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to look for HPV DNA in archived paraffin-embedded breast cancer cases at the University Hospital of Brazzaville and to look for a link between viral HPV infections and clinicopathological features.

Methods: A total of 40 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) biopsies were collected retrospectively, and all available data was recorded. Real-time PCR using GeneXpert technology (Cepheid®, Sunnyvale, USA) was used to detect and genotype HPV.

Results: The average age was 51.1 ± 11.4 years (range 22 - 75 years; median was 47). In total, HPV DNA was found in 6 (15%) of the breast carcinoma samples. The most common genotype, HPV-16, was found in 83.7 percent of all samples. There was no significant difference between HPV porting and clinicopathological features(p>0.05). However, a statistically significant difference was observed between HPV infection and SBR grade (p=0.05).

Conclusion: Our study found a high prevalence of HPV-HR in Congolese women with breast cancer. Future case-control studies are required to better characterise the potential role of HPV in the incidence of breast cancer in Congo.