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Cancer Risks and Factors / Breast Cancer Treatment Studies · Journal article
Scientific Reports · August 10, 2026
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This is a single-centre cross-sectional study describing hormone receptor status in 91 breast cancer patients in Northwest Ethiopia, reporting prevalence of ER-positive (74.7%), PR-positive (64.1%), and HER2-positive (23.1%) tumours, with 15.4% triple-negative breast cancer. The findings are descriptive and establish local disease characteristics in a resource-limited setting; they do not establish causality, prognosis, or treatment efficacy, and are limited to one hospital in one region.
Cross-sectional descriptive study. Ninety-one breast cancer patients receiving follow-up care at the Oncology Unit of the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia; enrolled from November 2024 to December 2025.. Intervention: Immunohistochemical analysis of hormone receptor status (estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2).. n = 91. University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Oncology Unit, Northwest Ethiopia (single centre)..
Estrogen receptor positive expression in 74.7% of tumors Progesterone receptor positive expression in 64.1% of tumors Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 positive expression in 23.1% of tumors
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These findings establish the prevalence of hormone receptor subtypes in a single centre in Northwest Ethiopia and suggest that most patients (74.7%) may benefit from endocrine therapy. However, the study does not evaluate treatment response, prognosis, or outcomes; it is descriptive and applicable primarily to similar settings in the region, and should not be used to guide individual patient treatment decisions without local validation.
Single-centre cross-sectional descriptive study of hormone receptor prevalence in a resource-limited setting; establishes local epidemiology but lacks comparison group, prospective outcome data, or causal inference.
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These findings establish the prevalence of hormone receptor subtypes in a single centre in Northwest Ethiopia and suggest that most patients (74.7%) may benefit from endocrine therapy. However, the study does not evaluate treatment response, prognosis, or outcomes; it is descriptive and applicable primarily to similar settings in the region, and should not be used to guide individual patient treatment decisions without local validation.
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Abstract Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer related death among women globally, with disproportionately higher fatality rates in low and middle-income countries such as Ethiopia. This disparity is largely attributable to delayed detection and limited management resources, including inadequate awareness, healthcare infrastructure, and diagnostic capabilities. Although hormone receptor status significantly influences prognosis and treatment response, its status remains understudied in Northwest Ethiopia. To determine hormone receptor status (estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in breast cancer patients at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Northwest Ethiopia. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Oncology Unit of the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital from November 2024 to December 2025. Ninety-one breast cancer patients receiving follow-up care at the Oncology Unit of the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital were included using purposive sampling technique. Socio-demographic and clinical data were collected using structured questionnaire and medical records. Ninety-one formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of the recruited patients were retrieved from the pathology department archives (2017–2025) and analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2). Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to summarize the study findings. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the associations between variables. A p-value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant at a 95% confidence interval. The median age at diagnosis was 41 years (IQR: 36–50). Most tumors were hormone receptor positive, with 74.7%, 64.1% and 23.1% of expression for estrogen receptor (ER), Progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) respectively. Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounted for 15.4% of the breast cancer patients. Patients younger than 50 years had significantly lower odds of the HER2-enriched subtype (AOR = 0.08, 95% CI: 0.01–0.73). Tumor size T1–T2 was significantly associated with higher odds of TNBC compared with Luminal A (AOR = 7.15, 95% CI: 1.33–38.40). Chemotherapy use differed significantly across molecular subtypes ( p = 0.008), while other sociodemographic and clinicopathological factors showed no significant associations. Hormone receptor positive tumors predominated, suggesting that most patients may benefit from endocrine therapy. The Luminal A subtype was the most common molecular subtype, while the relatively low prevalence of TNBC is consistent with study findings from other East African countries. These findings highlight the importance of routine immunohistochemical testing to guide personalized treatment and underscore the need to expand access to standardized diagnostic services and endocrine therapy in Northwest Ethiopia.
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