Publications by authors named "Lizette Louw"
Purpose: Response assessment of classical Hodgkin lymphoma (cHL) with positron emission tomography-computerized tomography (PET-CT) is standard of care in well-resourced settings but unavailable in most African countries. We aimed to investigate correlations between changes in PET-CT findings at interim analysis with changes in blood test results in pediatric patients with cHL in 17 South African centers.
Methods: Changes in ferritin, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), albumin, total white cell count (TWC), absolute lymphocyte count (ALC), and absolute eosinophil count were compared with PET-CT Deauville scores (DS) after two cycles of doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine in 84 pediatric patients with cHL.
Guiding principles on the education and practice of theranostics.
Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging
July 2024
Article Synopsis
- * A Consultancy Meeting at the IAEA in May 2023 brought together global experts to discuss the creation of a comprehensive training curriculum for theranostics.
- * A harmonized training program was established to promote safe and high-quality theranostics practices worldwide, ensuring competency among both new and existing specialists.
Background: Historic South African 5-year overall survival (OS) rates for Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) from 2000 to 2010 were 46% and 84% for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive and HIV-negative children, respectively. We investigated whether a harmonised treatment protocol using risk stratification and response-adapted therapy could increase the OS of childhood and adolescent HL.
Methods: Seventeen units prospectively enrolled patients less than 18 years, newly diagnosed with classical HL onto a risk-stratified, response-adapted treatment protocol from July 2016 to December 2022.
Collaborative studies have contributed to improved survival of pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma in well-resourced settings, but few are documented in resource-constrained countries. The South Africa Children's Cancer Study Group initiated harmonization of management protocols in 2015. This article analyzes barriers and enablers of the process.
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- The study investigates how the COVID-19 pandemic affected cardiac diagnostic services globally, examining changes in testing practices and provider stress levels.
- Researchers conducted a survey from 669 centers across 107 countries and found a 64% reduction in cardiac procedure volumes during the pandemic, with recovery varying significantly between high-income and lower-income countries.
- Results indicated a shift from traditional stress testing to advanced imaging techniques, alongside widespread psychological stress among healthcare providers, which hindered the recovery of cardiac testing services, especially in lower-income regions.
Article Synopsis
- The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases, which are the leading cause of death worldwide, leading to a drastic reduction in procedural volumes globally.* -
- A global survey revealed that cardiovascular diagnostic procedures decreased by around 42% in March 2020 and 64% by April 2020 compared to the same months in the previous year, with non-invasive tests like echocardiography and stress tests experiencing even steeper declines.* -
- The impact was more pronounced in countries with lower GDP, where facilities experienced 22% more reduction in procedures and had less access to personal protective equipment and telehealth options, highlighting the unequal effects of the pandemic on healthcare services.*
The Nuclear Medicine Global Initiative was formed in 2012 by 13 international organizations to promote human health by advancing the field of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging by supporting the practice and application of nuclear medicine. The first project focused on standardization of administered activities in pediatric nuclear medicine and resulted in 2 articles. For its second project the Nuclear Medicine Global Initiative chose to explore issues impacting on access and availability of radiopharmaceuticals around the world.
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