Radiation therapists' perceptions of thermoplastic mask use for head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy at Ocean Road Cancer Institute in Tanzania: A qualitative study.

Introduction: A thermoplastic mask is the most widely used immobilization device for head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy. The radiation therapist is the staff responsible to prepare these masks and set-up the patients for treatment, a procedure that requires time, patience, and precision. An understanding of Radiation therapists' perceptions regarding thermoplastic mask use will help design interventions to address challenges encountered in its use.

Thyroid Cancer and Iodine Deficiency Status: A 10-Year Review at a Single Cancer Center in Tanzania.

Objective: To highlight the magnitude and distribution of thyroid cancer at the largest cancer center in Tanzania and to correlate patient region of residence with regions of dietary iodine adequacy and deficiency in the country.

Study Design: A retrospective cross-sectional chart review to characterize patients with thyroid cancer and regions of residence.

Setting: Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI), the largest cancer center in Tanzania.

99mTc sestamibi scintimammography in the diagnosis of palpable breast masses.

The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of 99mTc sestamibi scintimammography in a region with a low incidence of breast cancer (East, central and West Africa) and to verify the clinical usefulness of this technique in identifying benign breast diseases. Thirty-eight women (age range 22-38 years) with palpable breast masses (n =38) and inconclusive mammograms were included. Prone scintimammography was performed 10 min and 60-90 min in all patients after injection using an isotime acquisition of 10 min.

Is (99m)Tc-sestamibi scintimammography complementary to conventional mammography for detecting breast cancer in patients with palpable masses?

Unlabelled: The aim of this trial was to evaluate in developing countries from different regions the diagnostic performance of (99m)Tc-sestamibi scintimammography (SM) in palpable breast lesions and to verify the clinical usefulness of a joint evaluation with mammography and SM.

Methods: From 10 countries, a total of 238 patients with palpable breast masses (n = 245) were included in this prospective multicenter trial. Prone SM was performed 10 min and 60-90 min (157 patients) after injection using an isotime acquisition of 10 min.

Radiobiology and stathmokinetics of intestinal crypts associated with patches of Peyer.

The stathmokinetics and radiobiology of intestinal crypts directly adjoining the lymphoid patches of Peyer, have been compared with those of non-patch-associated crypts. Patch crypts contain an additional one to two rings of cells, the Mitotic Index for the whole crypt is higher than in non-patch crypts, and the apparent cell cycle time is insignificantly lower. Using single and split doses of gamma-rays, dose-survival curves were obtained for whole intestinal crypts, from which single-cell survival curves were derived for the clonogenic cells of the crypt.