CONTINUING MEDICAL EDUCATION

Newman[1] demonstrated that the overall mean age at which African women present with breast cancer is 35- 45 years, 10- 15 years earlier than their Caucasian counterparts.[2] A 3-year retrospective review of 374 breast cancer patients in Kenya showed a median age of 44 years at presentation;[2] only 26 of 250 (10.4%) had early breast cancer. Of 250 patients reviewed by Adebamowo et al.,[3] 72.8 % presented with advanced breast cancer (Manchester stage III and IV disease). In South Africa, no national data exist. However, individual breast centres increasingly report their experience with early breast cancer.[4-6] Stigma Stigma refers to the attachment of negative connotations to a diagnosis. The Livestrong Foundation Report determined that stigma is an important part of cancer diagnosis.[7] Studies in Africa