article · Scientific Reports
A cross-sectional investigation assessed hormone receptor status among 91 breast cancer patients at the University of Gondar Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in Northwest Ethiopia. Using immunohistochemistry on archived tissue blocks, the analysis measured estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 expression. The median age at diagnosis was 41 years. Most tumours were hormone receptor positive, with estrogen receptor detected in 74.7 percent, progesterone receptor in 64.1 percent, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 in 23.1 percent of cases, making Luminal A the predominant subtype. Triple-negative breast cancer occurred in 15.4 percent of patients. Patients under 50 years old had significantly lower odds of the HER2-enriched subtype, while smaller tumour sizes correlated with higher odds of triple-negative breast cancer. Chemotherapy usage varied significantly across subtypes. The predominance of hormone receptor positivity indicates that most patients could benefit from endocrine therapy.
Breast cancer causes high fatality rates in low- and middle-income regions where diagnostic infrastructure is limited. Understanding the biological profile of tumours, specifically hormone receptor expression, allows clinicians to select targeted and endocrine therapies rather than relying solely on general treatments. Demonstrating that most local tumours respond to hormone-targeted approaches helps direct scarce healthcare resources toward effective, personalised interventions in settings with constrained oncology services.
The findings highlight a clear clinical demand for routine immunohistochemical diagnostics and targeted endocrine therapeutics in regional healthcare facilities. Potential users include oncology units, diagnostic pathology laboratories, and pharmaceutical suppliers serving Northwest Ethiopia. While immunohistochemical assays and endocrine drugs are established, commercially available technologies globally, their integration into this regional clinical setting represents an applied healthcare delivery challenge requiring expanded laboratory testing capacity and reliable pharmaceutical supply chains.
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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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DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-66083-2
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