Cancer in Africa: opportunities for collaborative research and training
- PMID: 20229733
Cancer in Africa: opportunities for collaborative research and training
Abstract
Cancer is a worldwide public health problem causing increasing morbidity and mortality, particularly in the developing world. Underlying trends are changing the pattern of cancer and this is also being influenced by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Even though the pattern of cancer varies across Africa, there are identifiable trends. Breast and cervical cancers, and Kaposi sarcoma are the commonest cancers in women, while Kaposi sarcoma, liver and prostate cancers are the commonest in men. Cancer causes more morbidity and mortality in Africa compared to other parts of the world. Infections account for a disproportionate amount of cancers in Africa. The HIV epidemic is contributing to increased prevalence of many cancers particularly those associated with Herpes and Papilloma viruses. Tobacco use, another major carcinogen, is increasing, particularly among the young. Dietary factors, alcohol use, physical inactivity and environmental pollution are also important aetiological factors of cancer in Africa. In developing countries, poverty, limited government health budget and poor health care systems complicate cancer prevention, treatment and outcomes. Coordinated response by international agencies and NGOs is needed to help developing countries and several successful models exist. More action is also needed on ensuring safety and quality of chemotherapy and the price needs to be reduced. Responses advocated for cancer control in Africa include banning tobacco use, better regulation of alcohol sale, better environmental planning and immunization against cancer associated viruses. Training of health care workers to diagnose cancer and treat it effectively within limited budgets is needed. Research to develop these new treatments and others, particularly from natural products is urgently needed and this can be done safely within established health research ethics regulatory frameworks. Several opportunities for collaborative research and training include an update of the epidemiology of cancers in African females; the relationship between HIV and other carcinogenic viruses; biological factors making cancers in Africa more lethal; cheaper vaccines that will be more available and easier to store and hence can be included in the immunization programme in African countries and development of vaccines like the HPV against other uncommon serotypes of the virus.
Similar articles
-
USAID steps up anti-AIDS program.USAID Highlights. 1991 Fall;8(3):1-4. USAID Highlights. 1991. PMID: 12284337
-
[Socioeconomic aspects of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in developing countries].Bull Acad Natl Med. 1990 Nov;174(8):1209-19; discussion 1219-21. Bull Acad Natl Med. 1990. PMID: 2094555 Review. French.
-
Injuries as a public health problem in sub-Saharan Africa: epidemiology and prospects for control.East Afr Med J. 2000 Dec;77(12 Suppl):S1-43. East Afr Med J. 2000. PMID: 12862115
-
A heart-healthy and "stroke-free" world through policy development, systems change, and environmental supports: a 2020 vision for sub-Saharan Africa.Ethn Dis. 2003 Summer;13(2 Suppl 2):S4-12. Ethn Dis. 2003. PMID: 13677406
-
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and AIDS in east Africa: challenges and possibilities for prevention and control.East Afr Med J. 1996 Jan;73(1):13-9. East Afr Med J. 1996. PMID: 8625855 Review.
Cited by
-
Emerging breast cancer epidemic: evidence from Africa.Breast Cancer Res. 2010 Dec 20;12 Suppl 4(Suppl 4):S8. doi: 10.1186/bcr2737. Breast Cancer Res. 2010. PMID: 21172092 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
-
Challenges in the detection, prevention, and treatment of HIV-associated malignancies in low- and middle-income countries in Africa.J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2014 Sep 1;67 Suppl 1(0 1):S17-26. doi: 10.1097/QAI.0000000000000255. J Acquir Immune Defic Syndr. 2014. PMID: 25117957 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Definition of fields margins for the optimized 2D radiotherapy of prostate carcinoma.Mol Clin Oncol. 2019 Jul;11(1):37-42. doi: 10.3892/mco.2019.1855. Epub 2019 May 8. Mol Clin Oncol. 2019. PMID: 31289675 Free PMC article.
-
Contemporary Radiation Treatment of Prostate Cancer in Africa: A Ghanaian Experience.J Glob Oncol. 2018 Jul;4:1-13. doi: 10.1200/JGO.17.00234. J Glob Oncol. 2018. PMID: 30085846 Free PMC article.
-
Estimating the incidence of breast cancer in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.J Glob Health. 2018 Jun;8(1):010419. doi: 10.7189/jogh.08.010419. J Glob Health. 2018. PMID: 29740502 Free PMC article.