Clinicopathological Features of Breast Cancer Among Women Presenting at Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos State

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in Nigeria, and late-stage presentation remains a critical challenge affecting treatment outcomes and survival. At Lagos University Teaching Hospital in South West Nigeria, the burden of advanced breast cancer reflects both patient-level delays and systemic barriers to screening and early diagnosis. This study examines the clinicopathological features of breast cancer cases managed at LUTH over a four-year period from 2019 to 2022. A retrospective descriptive design is applied to case records and histopathology reports of all confirmed breast cancer cases during the study period. Variables analysed include patient age, menopausal status, tumour size, lymph node involvement, histological grade, receptor status (ER, PR, HER2), clinical staging at presentation, and treatment modality initiated. SPSS is used for statistical analysis. Regional oncology literature from South West Nigeria indicates that over 65 percent of breast cancer patients present at stage III or IV, with triple-negative breast cancer constituting approximately 40 percent of cases. The TNM staging system and WHO histological classification guide the analytical framework. Findings will contribute to institutional cancer registry data and support the hospital's breast oncology unit in optimising stage-specific treatment pathways. Keywords: breast cancer, clinicopathology, TNM staging, Lagos, South West Nigeria.