Establishing cohorts to generate the evidence base to reduce the burden of breast cancer in sub-Saharan Africa: Results from a feasibility study in Kenya

PURPOSEBy 2025, Kenya is estimated to experience a two-thirds increase in the incidence of breast cancer. Local research is necessary to generate evidence to inform policy, public health, and medical practice. There have been no longitudinal cohort studies in sub-Saharan Africa of women with and without breast cancer. Our aim is to assess the feasibility of conducting cohort studies in Kenya that consider clinical characteristics, socioeconomic factors, and self-care behaviors.METHODSWe initiated a short-term follow-up cohort study of women with and without a diagnosis of breast cancer with baseline face-to-face data collection and one follow-up interview (at approximately 3 months by telephone). We developed tailored instruments to capture demographics, socioeconomic factors, breast cancer risk, ability to identify breast cancer symptoms, treatments received for breast cancer, and quality of life of survivors.RESULTSWe recruited 800 women between the ages of 20 and 60 years and successfully collected bas...