Poor oral health and the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Malawi.

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is the second most common cancer in Malawi. Risk factors for this cancer in Malawi are poorly understood. Poor oral health has previously been linked to increased ESCC risk in other high-incidence regions, including parts of Eastern and Southern Africa.

Survival After Diagnosis of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Malawi.

Purpose: Esophageal cancer (EC) is the second most common cancer in Malawi, with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) representing >90% of all ECs. Despite significant morbidity and mortality, little is known about disease outcomes. In this study, we assess survival after ESCC diagnosis in Malawi.

Kusankha Pamodzi: Health Care Decision-Making Preferences Among Patients with Cancer in Malawi.

Background: Oncology teams are encouraged to include patient preferences and goals of care in determining appropriate treatment courses. There are no existing data from Malawi exploring decision-making preferences among cancer patients.

Methods: In the oncology clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi, 50 patients were surveyed for decision making.

Tobacco and other risk factors for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma in Lilongwe Malawi: Results from the Lilongwe esophageal cancer case: Control study.

Objective: Esophageal cancer is the second commonest cancer in Malawi, and 95% of all cases are esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Very little is known about the epidemiology of ESCC in Malawi including risk factors. The main objective of the study was to evaluate and describe risk factors of ESCC in Malawi.

Spatial distribution of incident pediatric Burkitt lymphoma in central and northern Malawi and association with malaria prevalence.

Background: Burkitt lymphoma (BL) accounts for 90% of pediatric lymphomas in sub-Saharan Africa. Plasmodium falciparum malaria is considered an etiological factor of BL. We describe the geographic distribution of pediatric BL in Malawi and association with P.

Implementation and Evaluation of Educational Videos to Improve Cancer Knowledge and Patient Empowerment.

Purpose: Low health literacy is a leading cause of treatment abandonment among patients receiving cancer care at Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in Malawi.

Methods: We developed cancer educational videos featuring Malawian providers and played them in the KCH oncology clinic. The videos addressed cancer-related topics, including disease biology, common myths, diagnostic procedures, treatment, side effects, and survivorship.

Treatment outcomes of esophageal cancer in Eastern Africa: protocol of a multi-center, prospective, observational, open cohort study.

Background: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a major cause of cancer morbidity and mortality in Eastern Africa. The majority of patients with ESCC in Eastern Africa present with advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. Several palliative interventions for ESCC are currently in use within the region, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy with and without chemotherapy, and esophageal stenting with self-expandable metallic stents; however, the comparative effectiveness of these interventions in a low resource setting has yet to be examined.

Pediatric lymphoma patients in Malawi present with poor health-related quality of life at diagnosis and improve throughout treatment and follow-up across all Pediatric PROMIS-25 domains.

Background: Patient-reportedoutcomes (PROs) that assess health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are increasingly important components of cancer care and research that are infrequently used in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).

Methods: We administered the Chichewa Pediatric Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System Pediatric (PROMIS)-25 at diagnosis, active treatment, and follow-up among pediatric lymphoma patients in Lilongwe, Malawi. Mean scores were calculated for the six PROMIS-25 HRQoL domains (Mobility, Anxiety, Depressive Symptoms, Fatigue, Peer Relationships, Pain Interference).

Feasibility of upfront mobile money transfers for transportation reimbursement to promote retention among patients receiving lymphoma treatment in Malawi.

Background: Cancer outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) remain suboptimal, in part due to poor patient retention. Many patients travel long distances to receive care, and transportation costs are often prohibitively expensive. These are well-known and established causes of delayed treatment and care abandonment in Malawi and across SSA.

Translation, psychometric validation, and baseline results of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) pediatric measures to assess health-related quality of life of patients with pediatric lymphoma in Malawi.

Introduction: Internationally validated tools to measure patient-reported health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are available, but efforts to translate and culturally validate such tools in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are scarce, particularly among children.

Methods: The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System 25-item pediatric short form (PROMIS-25) assesses six HRQoL domains-mobility, anxiety, depression, fatigue, peer relationships, and pain interference-by asking four questions per domain. There is a single-item pain intensity item.

Risk factors and reasons for treatment abandonment among children with lymphoma in Malawi.

Purpose: Lymphoma is the commonest pediatric cancer in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Frequent treatment abandonment contributes to suboptimal outcomes. We examined risk factors and reasons for treatment abandonment for this population in Malawi.

Quantifying bias in survival estimates resulting from loss to follow-up among children with lymphoma in Malawi.

Pediatric lymphoma is common in sub-Saharan Africa, where survival estimates are often based on limited follow-up with incomplete retention, introducing potential for bias. We compared follow-up and overall survival (OS) between passive and active tracing within a prospective cohort of children with lymphoma in Malawi. Median follow-up times were 4.