Age at Menarche and Breast Cancer Characteristics in Women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Menarche age and breast cancer in DRC

Nicole Mbombo Mwale (1), Tacite Kpanya Mazoba (2), Antoine Molua Aundu (3), Gertrude Luyeye Mvila (4)
(1) Department of Medical Imaging and Radiology, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR, Congo, Congo, The Democratic Republic of the,
(2) Department of Medical Imaging and Radiology, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR, Congo; Interdisciplinary Center for Research in Medical Imaging (CIRIMED), University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR, Congo, Congo, The Democratic Republic of the,
(3) Department of Medical Imaging and Radiology, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR, Congo; Interdisciplinary Center for Research in Medical Imaging (CIRIMED), University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR, Congo, Congo,
(4) Department of Medical Imaging and Radiology, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR, Congo; Interdisciplinary Center for Research in Medical Imaging (CIRIMED), University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR, Congo; Centre d’imagerie du Congo (CEIMEC), University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR, Congo; Centre Pilote d’imagerie Médicale Kokolo (CEPIM), University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR, Congo, Congo, The Democratic Republic of the

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Vol. 12 No. 3 (2025): In-Press, August 2025
Keywords:
    Early menarche, breast cancer, resource-limited settings, HER2-positive, triple-negative
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Abstract

Background: Early menarche has been associated with an increased risk of breast cancer, but the relationship remains poorly understood in resource-limited settings. This study aims to explore the association between age at menarche and breast cancer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).


Methods: We conducted a retrospective analysis of 401 breast cancer patients, assessing their age at menarche and clinical characteristics. Data were analyzed using ANOVA to compare mean age at menarche across different clinical and histological subtypes, with significance set at p < 0.05.


Results: The mean age at menarche was 12.7 ± 3.1 years. Significant differences were observed in age at menarche between tumor subtypes, with earlier menarche associated with aggressive subtypes, such as HER2-positive and triple-negative breast cancer. Women with menarche at age ≤12 years had a higher risk of developing breast cancer, consistent with findings from other populations.


Conclusion: Our study suggests that early menarche may be a key factor in breast cancer risk in a resource-limited setting. Identifying women with early menarche could help prioritize them for targeted public health interventions and early screening, particularly in environments where advanced diagnostic tools are scarce. Further research is needed to validate these findings in larger, longitudinal studies across diverse African populations.

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Authors

Nicole Mbombo Mwale
Department of Medical Imaging and Radiology, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR, Congo
https://orcid.org/0009-0005-1840-3574
Tacite Kpanya Mazoba
Department of Medical Imaging and Radiology, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR, Congo; Interdisciplinary Center for Research in Medical Imaging (CIRIMED), University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR, Congo
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9791-6538
Antoine Molua Aundu
Department of Medical Imaging and Radiology, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR, Congo; Interdisciplinary Center for Research in Medical Imaging (CIRIMED), University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR, Congo
https://orcid.org/0009-0009-6243-4342
Gertrude Luyeye Mvila
Department of Medical Imaging and Radiology, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR, Congo; Interdisciplinary Center for Research in Medical Imaging (CIRIMED), University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR, Congo; Centre d’imagerie du Congo (CEIMEC), University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR, Congo; Centre Pilote d’imagerie Médicale Kokolo (CEPIM), University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR, Congo
https://orcid.org/0009-0000-1475-3642
gluyeye.gl@gmail.com (Primary Contact)
1.
Mbombo Mwale N, Kpanya Mazoba T, Molua Aundu A, Luyeye Mvila G. Age at Menarche and Breast Cancer Characteristics in Women in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): Menarche age and breast cancer in DRC. Arch Breast Cancer [Internet]. [cited 2025 Jun. 18];12(3). Available from: https://archbreastcancer.com/index.php/abc/article/view/1097
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