Publications by authors named "Andrew Ndlovu"
Prostate cancer (CaP) represents a significant cause of cancer-related mortality on a global scale. Low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), face a disproportionate burden of this disease. Underlying genetic factors as well as barriers to early diagnosis and treatment lead to overall worse outcomes for CaP patients in SSA compared with the United States (U.
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- Cervical cancer continues to be a significant public health challenge in Botswana, particularly among indigenous and marginalized groups, despite the introduction of a quadrivalent HPV vaccine and screening initiatives.
- A study involving 171 non-HPV vaccinated women aged 21 and older assessed the prevalence of high-risk HPV genotypes and cervical lesions through interviews, Pap smears, and HPV testing.
- The results revealed that 31% of participants were HIV positive, and 13.5% exhibited cervical dysplasia, with various atypical cell types identified, although no cases of high-grade lesions or cervical cancer were found.
Article Synopsis
- Cervical cancer, often caused by oncogenic human papillomavirus (HPV), primarily impacts women in low-resource areas, particularly those from marginalized indigenous communities in Botswana.
- A study involving 171 women found that current smokers were nearly twice as likely to have high-risk HPV infections compared to non-smokers, with a significant portion also living with HIV.
- The results highlight the urgent need for targeted tobacco control measures to reduce cervical cancer risks in these communities.
Article Synopsis
- * The World Health Organization (WHO) started a plan in 2018 to help eliminate cervical cancer by providing vaccines, screening, and treatment.
- * There are still big challenges in helping women with HIV, including the need for better vaccines and addressing issues like poverty and discrimination.
Introduction: Cancer research is critical for cancer control policies; however, the state of cancer research activities in Botswana is largely unknown. The goal of this review was to describe trends and patterns of cancer research outputs in Botswana.
Methods: PubMed, Web of Science, EBSCOhost, African Journals Online, and African Index Medicus databases were systematically searched for peer-reviewed, primary cancer-related research articles published on the Botswana population or by Botswana institutions between January 2009 and June 2021.
Breast cancer is the most frequent cause of cancer death in low- and middle-income countries, in particular among sub-Saharan African women, where response to available anticancer treatment therapy is often limited by the recurrent breast tumours and metastasis, ultimately resulting in decreased overall survival rate. This can also be attributed to African genomes that contain more variation than those from other parts of the world. The purpose of this review is to summarize published evidence on pharmacogenetic and pharmacokinetic aspects related to specific available treatments and the known genetic variabilities associated with metabolism and/or transport of breast cancer drugs, and treatment outcomes when possible.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: High-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) has been demonstrated to be the necessary cause of cervical carcinoma. High-risk HPV detection has a prognostic significance for the women who are at increased risk of disease progression. HPV genotyping in cervical cancer precursor lesions is crucial for prevention and management of cervical cancer.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Human papillomavirus (HPV) associated malignancies are the leading cause of cancer death in Botswana. We sought to determine causative HPV types in patients with anogenital malignancies in Botswana to inform vaccine strategy.
Methods: We used formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue blocks from patients diagnosed with anal, penile and vulvar squamous cell carcinomas between the years, 2014 and 2016.