Quantifying the under-estimation of cervical Cancer in remote regions of Tanzania
Abstract Background Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women in Sub-Saharan countries, including Tanzania. While early detection and diagnosis are available in some parts of this large country, radiotherapy has been only available at the Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI), in the capita...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2020-09-01
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| Series: | BMC Cancer |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12885-020-07439-3 |
| _version_ | 1818199108083515392 |
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| author | Mariah P. Gesink Robert M. Chamberlain Julius Mwaiselage Crispin Kahesa Kahima Jackson William Mueller Jane L. Meza Amr S. Soliman |
| author_facet | Mariah P. Gesink Robert M. Chamberlain Julius Mwaiselage Crispin Kahesa Kahima Jackson William Mueller Jane L. Meza Amr S. Soliman |
| author_sort | Mariah P. Gesink |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women in Sub-Saharan countries, including Tanzania. While early detection and diagnosis are available in some parts of this large country, radiotherapy has been only available at the Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI), in the capital city of Dar es Salaam and is just starting in a few regions. Methods The objective of this study was to compare the observed incidence of cervical cancer for the two remote regions of Mwanza in western Tanzania and Mbeya in southern Tanzania, based on their patients treated at the ORCI from 2011 to 2014. Results: The number patients referred and treated at ORCI were (120 from Mwanza, and 171 from Mbeya, representing 24.6 and 32.8% of the patients histopathologically confirmed in the two sites, respectively. The results showed significant underestimation of cervical cancer in the two regions. The vast majority of patients who were histopathologically-confirmed in their local regions (73.92% from Mwanza and 65.1% from Mbeya), but did not receive the needed radiotherapy treatment at the ORCI. The estimated incidence for the two regions based on the number of patients treated at the ORCI were underestimated by 53.9% for Mwanza and 68.9% for Mbeya. Conclusions Local establishment of radiotherapy treatment facilities in remote regions in Tanzania and similar other low-income countries is essential for providing effective treatment and improving survival of diagnosed cervical cancer patients. Linkage between the records of local remote hospitals and the main cancer treatment center in the capital city can also help support the emerging the population-based cancer registry at ORCI. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-12T02:16:31Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1a02e43a156a4a04861a7399c6f19b51 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2407 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-12T02:16:31Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Cancer |
| spelling | doaj.art-1a02e43a156a4a04861a7399c6f19b512022-12-22T00:41:47ZengBMCBMC Cancer1471-24072020-09-012011810.1186/s12885-020-07439-3Quantifying the under-estimation of cervical Cancer in remote regions of TanzaniaMariah P. Gesink0Robert M. Chamberlain1Julius Mwaiselage2Crispin Kahesa3Kahima Jackson4William Mueller5Jane L. Meza6Amr S. Soliman7College of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical SchoolCity University of New York Medical SchoolOcean Road Cancer InstituteOcean Road Cancer InstituteBugando HospitalMbeya Referral HospitalCollege of Public Health, University of Nebraska Medical SchoolCity University of New York Medical SchoolAbstract Background Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women in Sub-Saharan countries, including Tanzania. While early detection and diagnosis are available in some parts of this large country, radiotherapy has been only available at the Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI), in the capital city of Dar es Salaam and is just starting in a few regions. Methods The objective of this study was to compare the observed incidence of cervical cancer for the two remote regions of Mwanza in western Tanzania and Mbeya in southern Tanzania, based on their patients treated at the ORCI from 2011 to 2014. Results: The number patients referred and treated at ORCI were (120 from Mwanza, and 171 from Mbeya, representing 24.6 and 32.8% of the patients histopathologically confirmed in the two sites, respectively. The results showed significant underestimation of cervical cancer in the two regions. The vast majority of patients who were histopathologically-confirmed in their local regions (73.92% from Mwanza and 65.1% from Mbeya), but did not receive the needed radiotherapy treatment at the ORCI. The estimated incidence for the two regions based on the number of patients treated at the ORCI were underestimated by 53.9% for Mwanza and 68.9% for Mbeya. Conclusions Local establishment of radiotherapy treatment facilities in remote regions in Tanzania and similar other low-income countries is essential for providing effective treatment and improving survival of diagnosed cervical cancer patients. Linkage between the records of local remote hospitals and the main cancer treatment center in the capital city can also help support the emerging the population-based cancer registry at ORCI.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12885-020-07439-3Cervical cancerIncidenceTanzaniaObservedExpectedEpidemiology |
| spellingShingle | Mariah P. Gesink Robert M. Chamberlain Julius Mwaiselage Crispin Kahesa Kahima Jackson William Mueller Jane L. Meza Amr S. Soliman Quantifying the under-estimation of cervical Cancer in remote regions of Tanzania BMC Cancer Cervical cancer Incidence Tanzania Observed Expected Epidemiology |
| title | Quantifying the under-estimation of cervical Cancer in remote regions of Tanzania |
| title_full | Quantifying the under-estimation of cervical Cancer in remote regions of Tanzania |
| title_fullStr | Quantifying the under-estimation of cervical Cancer in remote regions of Tanzania |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quantifying the under-estimation of cervical Cancer in remote regions of Tanzania |
| title_short | Quantifying the under-estimation of cervical Cancer in remote regions of Tanzania |
| title_sort | quantifying the under estimation of cervical cancer in remote regions of tanzania |
| topic | Cervical cancer Incidence Tanzania Observed Expected Epidemiology |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12885-020-07439-3 |
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