Establishing women's cancer care services in a fragile, conflict and violence affected ecosystem in Africa.

African cancer centre Democratic Republic of the Congo Dikembe Mutombo breast cancer cervical cancer conflict and violence affected societies fragile

Journal

Ecancermedicalscience
ISSN: 1754-6605
Titre abrégé: Ecancermedicalscience
Pays: England
ID NLM: 101392236

Informations de publication

Date de publication:
2021
Historique:
received: 18 11 2020
entrez: 5 7 2021
pubmed: 6 7 2021
medline: 6 7 2021
Statut: epublish

Résumé

The majority of the world's poorest women (income < $1.90/day) reside in fragile, conflict and violence (FCV)-affected countries, like the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Health services in these settings have traditionally focused on immediate relief efforts, communicable diseases and malnutrition. Recent data suggests there is need to widen the focus to include cancer, as its incidence and mortality rates are rising. Employing competency-based learning strategies, Congolese health professionals were trained to perform same-day cervical cancer screening and treatment of precancerous lesions of the cervix; same-day clinical breast examination and breast ultrasound diagnostics; surgical treatment of invasive cancers of the breast and cervix; and infusion of cytotoxic chemotherapy. Outpatient breast and cervical cancer care clinics, a chemotherapy suite and surgical theatres were outfitted with equipment and supplies. Combining local and regional hands-on training seminars with wise infrastructure investments, a team of US and Zambian oncology experts successfully implemented a clinical service platform for women's cancers in a private sector health facility in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We forged a novel partnership between oncology health professionals from Africa and its Diaspora, international philanthropic organisations, a cancer medicine access initiative and an established African cancer centre to build women's cancer services in a FVC-affected African setting.

Sections du résumé

BACKGROUND BACKGROUND
The majority of the world's poorest women (income < $1.90/day) reside in fragile, conflict and violence (FCV)-affected countries, like the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Health services in these settings have traditionally focused on immediate relief efforts, communicable diseases and malnutrition. Recent data suggests there is need to widen the focus to include cancer, as its incidence and mortality rates are rising.
METHODS METHODS
Employing competency-based learning strategies, Congolese health professionals were trained to perform same-day cervical cancer screening and treatment of precancerous lesions of the cervix; same-day clinical breast examination and breast ultrasound diagnostics; surgical treatment of invasive cancers of the breast and cervix; and infusion of cytotoxic chemotherapy. Outpatient breast and cervical cancer care clinics, a chemotherapy suite and surgical theatres were outfitted with equipment and supplies.
RESULTS RESULTS
Combining local and regional hands-on training seminars with wise infrastructure investments, a team of US and Zambian oncology experts successfully implemented a clinical service platform for women's cancers in a private sector health facility in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
CONCLUSION CONCLUSIONS
We forged a novel partnership between oncology health professionals from Africa and its Diaspora, international philanthropic organisations, a cancer medicine access initiative and an established African cancer centre to build women's cancer services in a FVC-affected African setting.

Identifiants

pubmed: 34221114
doi: 10.3332/ecancer.2021.1231
pii: can-15-1231
pmc: PMC8225336
doi:

Types de publication

Journal Article

Langues

eng

Pagination

1231

Informations de copyright

© the authors; licensee ecancermedicalscience.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

None of the authors declare any conflicts of interest.

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Auteurs

Groesbeck Preer Parham (GP)

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 101 Manning Dr, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Teaching Hospital - Women and Newborn Hospital, 10101 Nationalist Way, Lusaka, Zambia.
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5922-5990.

Kabongo Mukuta Mathieu (KM)

Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital, No. 9777, Boulevard Lumumba, Commune de Masina, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Tankoy Gombo YouYou (TG)

Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital, No. 9777, Boulevard Lumumba, Commune de Masina, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Michael L Hicks (ML)

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 101 Manning Dr, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, USA.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Teaching Hospital - Women and Newborn Hospital, 10101 Nationalist Way, Lusaka, Zambia.
St Mary Mercy Cancer Center, 36475 Five Mile Rd, Livonia, MI 48154, USA.
St Joseph Mercy Oakland Cancer Center, 44405 Woodward Ave, Suite 202, Pontiac, MI 48324, USA.
McLaren Macomb Medical Center, 1000 Harrington Blvd, Mount Clemens, MI 48043, USA.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1819-155X.

Ronda Henry-Tillman (R)

Winthrop P Rockefeller Cancer Institute, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham St, Slot #725, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1782-9523.

Alex Mutombo (A)

Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital, No. 9777, Boulevard Lumumba, Commune de Masina, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Mukanya Mpalata Anaclet (MM)

Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital, No. 9777, Boulevard Lumumba, Commune de Masina, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Mulumba Kapuku Sylvain (MK)

Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital, No. 9777, Boulevard Lumumba, Commune de Masina, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Leeya Pinder (L)

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Teaching Hospital - Women and Newborn Hospital, 10101 Nationalist Way, Lusaka, Zambia.
Department of Oncology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8929-7810.

Maya M Hicks (MM)

Howard University College of Medicine, 520 W St NW, Washington, DC 20059, USA.
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1993-3367.

Louis Kanda (L)

Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, 400 Interstate N Pkwy, Suite 1040, Atlanta, GA 30339, USA.

Mirielle Kanda (M)

Dikembe Mutombo Foundation, 400 Interstate N Pkwy, Suite 1040, Atlanta, GA 30339, USA.

Classifications MeSH