Design and Implementation of a Cancer Screening Program for a Health District in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Pilot Study

Sylvester Adeh Nsoh; Paul Mobit; Nicholas Ade; Mc Che Joe Brown; Ambe Yancho; Isabella Fri Tayong

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11

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Design and Implementation of a Cancer Screening Program for a Health District in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Pilot Study

Sylvester Adeh Nsoh, Paul Mobit, Nicholas Ade, Mc Che Joe Brown, Ambe Yancho, Isabella Fri Tayong

Published in International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research (Volume 7, Issue 4)

Received: 10 August 2022 Accepted: 17 September 2022 Published: 16 November 2022

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Abstract

The incidence of cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa is increasing and most cancers are diagnosed at advanced stages where treatment is usually less effective, more expensive, and more disabling. Early detection can reduce the burden of this health problem. This paper describes a pilot study to assess the feasibility of implementing a cancer screening program at the Dibombari Health District in Cameroon. A privately owned modern oncology center (Cameroon Oncology Center) located within the health district just outside the city of Douala in the Republic of Cameroon conducted the study. A total of 103 participants including 88 females and 15 males with a median age of 38 years (mean, 41.4 years; range, 17–82 completed years) were screened for cervical, breast and prostate cancers from October 24^th to November 12^th, 2021. Clinical examination of the breast and prostate for males, and breasts and genitals for females including visual inspections of the cervix with acetic acid then Lugol’s iodine (VIA-VILI) were performed. Thirty-eight (representing 36.9%) of the screened participants had cancer suspicious lesions and accordingly received the following management plans: follow-up breast ultrasound (17 participants); follow-up pelvic ultrasound (7); follow-up microbiopsy (2); follow-up biopsy (1); follow-up Pap smear (9); and prostate-specific antigen test (4 males with enlarged prostate). The remaining 65 participants (63.1%) had no suspicious lesions, and were booked for a review in one year. Our study shows that most of the screened participants with suspicious lesions were asymptomatic. Our findings therefore highlight the feasibility of implementing a comprehensive cancer screening program in the health district given its effectiveness in lessening the burden of this health problem.

Published in	International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research (Volume 7, Issue 4)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11
Page(s)	83-88
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Cameroon Oncology Center, Cancer Screening, Cervical, Breast, Prostate

References

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APA Style

Sylvester Adeh Nsoh, Paul Mobit, Nicholas Ade, Mc Che Joe Brown, Ambe Yancho, et al. (2022). Design and Implementation of a Cancer Screening Program for a Health District in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Pilot Study. International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research, 7(4), 83-88. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11

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ACS Style

Sylvester Adeh Nsoh; Paul Mobit; Nicholas Ade; Mc Che Joe Brown; Ambe Yancho, et al. Design and Implementation of a Cancer Screening Program for a Health District in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Pilot Study. Int. J. Clin. Oncol. Cancer Res. 2022, 7(4), 83-88. doi: 10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11

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AMA Style

Sylvester Adeh Nsoh, Paul Mobit, Nicholas Ade, Mc Che Joe Brown, Ambe Yancho, et al. Design and Implementation of a Cancer Screening Program for a Health District in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Pilot Study. Int J Clin Oncol Cancer Res. 2022;7(4):83-88. doi: 10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11,
  author = {Sylvester Adeh Nsoh and Paul Mobit and Nicholas Ade and Mc Che Joe Brown and Ambe Yancho and Isabella Fri Tayong},
  title = {Design and Implementation of a Cancer Screening Program for a Health District in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Pilot Study},
  journal = {International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research},
  volume = {7},
  number = {4},
  pages = {83-88},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijcocr.20220704.11},
  abstract = {The incidence of cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa is increasing and most cancers are diagnosed at advanced stages where treatment is usually less effective, more expensive, and more disabling. Early detection can reduce the burden of this health problem. This paper describes a pilot study to assess the feasibility of implementing a cancer screening program at the Dibombari Health District in Cameroon. A privately owned modern oncology center (Cameroon Oncology Center) located within the health district just outside the city of Douala in the Republic of Cameroon conducted the study. A total of 103 participants including 88 females and 15 males with a median age of 38 years (mean, 41.4 years; range, 17–82 completed years) were screened for cervical, breast and prostate cancers from October 24th to November 12th, 2021. Clinical examination of the breast and prostate for males, and breasts and genitals for females including visual inspections of the cervix with acetic acid then Lugol’s iodine (VIA-VILI) were performed. Thirty-eight (representing 36.9%) of the screened participants had cancer suspicious lesions and accordingly received the following management plans: follow-up breast ultrasound (17 participants); follow-up pelvic ultrasound (7); follow-up microbiopsy (2); follow-up biopsy (1); follow-up Pap smear (9); and prostate-specific antigen test (4 males with enlarged prostate). The remaining 65 participants (63.1%) had no suspicious lesions, and were booked for a review in one year. Our study shows that most of the screened participants with suspicious lesions were asymptomatic. Our findings therefore highlight the feasibility of implementing a comprehensive cancer screening program in the health district given its effectiveness in lessening the burden of this health problem.},
 year = {2022}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Design and Implementation of a Cancer Screening Program for a Health District in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Pilot Study
AU  - Sylvester Adeh Nsoh
AU  - Paul Mobit
AU  - Nicholas Ade
AU  - Mc Che Joe Brown
AU  - Ambe Yancho
AU  - Isabella Fri Tayong
Y1  - 2022/11/16
PY  - 2022
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11
T2  - International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research
JF  - International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research
JO  - International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research
SP  - 83
EP  - 88
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2578-9511
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11
AB  - The incidence of cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa is increasing and most cancers are diagnosed at advanced stages where treatment is usually less effective, more expensive, and more disabling. Early detection can reduce the burden of this health problem. This paper describes a pilot study to assess the feasibility of implementing a cancer screening program at the Dibombari Health District in Cameroon. A privately owned modern oncology center (Cameroon Oncology Center) located within the health district just outside the city of Douala in the Republic of Cameroon conducted the study. A total of 103 participants including 88 females and 15 males with a median age of 38 years (mean, 41.4 years; range, 17–82 completed years) were screened for cervical, breast and prostate cancers from October 24th to November 12th, 2021. Clinical examination of the breast and prostate for males, and breasts and genitals for females including visual inspections of the cervix with acetic acid then Lugol’s iodine (VIA-VILI) were performed. Thirty-eight (representing 36.9%) of the screened participants had cancer suspicious lesions and accordingly received the following management plans: follow-up breast ultrasound (17 participants); follow-up pelvic ultrasound (7); follow-up microbiopsy (2); follow-up biopsy (1); follow-up Pap smear (9); and prostate-specific antigen test (4 males with enlarged prostate). The remaining 65 participants (63.1%) had no suspicious lesions, and were booked for a review in one year. Our study shows that most of the screened participants with suspicious lesions were asymptomatic. Our findings therefore highlight the feasibility of implementing a comprehensive cancer screening program in the health district given its effectiveness in lessening the burden of this health problem.
VL  - 7
IS  - 4
ER  -

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Author Information

Sylvester Adeh Nsoh

Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Cameroon Oncology Center, Douala, Cameroon
Paul Mobit

Department of Radiation Oncology, Cameroon Oncology Center, Douala, Cameroon
Nicholas Ade

Department of Radiation Oncology, Cameroon Oncology Center, Douala, Cameroon
Mc Che Joe Brown

Department of General Medicine, Cameroon Oncology Center, Douala, Cameroon
Ambe Yancho

Department of General Medicine, Cameroon Oncology Center, Douala, Cameroon
Isabella Fri Tayong

Cameroon Cancer Foundation, Douala, Cameroon

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APA Style

Sylvester Adeh Nsoh, Paul Mobit, Nicholas Ade, Mc Che Joe Brown, Ambe Yancho, et al. (2022). Design and Implementation of a Cancer Screening Program for a Health District in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Pilot Study. International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research, 7(4), 83-88. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11

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ACS Style

Sylvester Adeh Nsoh; Paul Mobit; Nicholas Ade; Mc Che Joe Brown; Ambe Yancho, et al. Design and Implementation of a Cancer Screening Program for a Health District in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Pilot Study. Int. J. Clin. Oncol. Cancer Res. 2022, 7(4), 83-88. doi: 10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11

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AMA Style

Sylvester Adeh Nsoh, Paul Mobit, Nicholas Ade, Mc Che Joe Brown, Ambe Yancho, et al. Design and Implementation of a Cancer Screening Program for a Health District in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Pilot Study. Int J Clin Oncol Cancer Res. 2022;7(4):83-88. doi: 10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11,
  author = {Sylvester Adeh Nsoh and Paul Mobit and Nicholas Ade and Mc Che Joe Brown and Ambe Yancho and Isabella Fri Tayong},
  title = {Design and Implementation of a Cancer Screening Program for a Health District in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Pilot Study},
  journal = {International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research},
  volume = {7},
  number = {4},
  pages = {83-88},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijcocr.20220704.11},
  abstract = {The incidence of cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa is increasing and most cancers are diagnosed at advanced stages where treatment is usually less effective, more expensive, and more disabling. Early detection can reduce the burden of this health problem. This paper describes a pilot study to assess the feasibility of implementing a cancer screening program at the Dibombari Health District in Cameroon. A privately owned modern oncology center (Cameroon Oncology Center) located within the health district just outside the city of Douala in the Republic of Cameroon conducted the study. A total of 103 participants including 88 females and 15 males with a median age of 38 years (mean, 41.4 years; range, 17–82 completed years) were screened for cervical, breast and prostate cancers from October 24th to November 12th, 2021. Clinical examination of the breast and prostate for males, and breasts and genitals for females including visual inspections of the cervix with acetic acid then Lugol’s iodine (VIA-VILI) were performed. Thirty-eight (representing 36.9%) of the screened participants had cancer suspicious lesions and accordingly received the following management plans: follow-up breast ultrasound (17 participants); follow-up pelvic ultrasound (7); follow-up microbiopsy (2); follow-up biopsy (1); follow-up Pap smear (9); and prostate-specific antigen test (4 males with enlarged prostate). The remaining 65 participants (63.1%) had no suspicious lesions, and were booked for a review in one year. Our study shows that most of the screened participants with suspicious lesions were asymptomatic. Our findings therefore highlight the feasibility of implementing a comprehensive cancer screening program in the health district given its effectiveness in lessening the burden of this health problem.},
 year = {2022}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Design and Implementation of a Cancer Screening Program for a Health District in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Pilot Study
AU  - Sylvester Adeh Nsoh
AU  - Paul Mobit
AU  - Nicholas Ade
AU  - Mc Che Joe Brown
AU  - Ambe Yancho
AU  - Isabella Fri Tayong
Y1  - 2022/11/16
PY  - 2022
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11
T2  - International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research
JF  - International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research
JO  - International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research
SP  - 83
EP  - 88
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2578-9511
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220704.11
AB  - The incidence of cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa is increasing and most cancers are diagnosed at advanced stages where treatment is usually less effective, more expensive, and more disabling. Early detection can reduce the burden of this health problem. This paper describes a pilot study to assess the feasibility of implementing a cancer screening program at the Dibombari Health District in Cameroon. A privately owned modern oncology center (Cameroon Oncology Center) located within the health district just outside the city of Douala in the Republic of Cameroon conducted the study. A total of 103 participants including 88 females and 15 males with a median age of 38 years (mean, 41.4 years; range, 17–82 completed years) were screened for cervical, breast and prostate cancers from October 24th to November 12th, 2021. Clinical examination of the breast and prostate for males, and breasts and genitals for females including visual inspections of the cervix with acetic acid then Lugol’s iodine (VIA-VILI) were performed. Thirty-eight (representing 36.9%) of the screened participants had cancer suspicious lesions and accordingly received the following management plans: follow-up breast ultrasound (17 participants); follow-up pelvic ultrasound (7); follow-up microbiopsy (2); follow-up biopsy (1); follow-up Pap smear (9); and prostate-specific antigen test (4 males with enlarged prostate). The remaining 65 participants (63.1%) had no suspicious lesions, and were booked for a review in one year. Our study shows that most of the screened participants with suspicious lesions were asymptomatic. Our findings therefore highlight the feasibility of implementing a comprehensive cancer screening program in the health district given its effectiveness in lessening the burden of this health problem.
VL  - 7
IS  - 4
ER  -

Copy | Download