Quality of Life Gain Following Treatment Among Breast Cancer Survivors With and Without HIV.

Purpose: Women living with HIV (WLWH) experience decreased breast cancer survival. We sought to determine whether WLWH surviving breast cancer also experienced different quality of life (QOL) gain.

Methods: Women who enrolled in the Thabatse Cancer Cohort across oncology centers in Botswana for the initial treatment of stage I-III breast cancer from October 2010 to February 2022 were included.

Significance of HIV status in cervical cancer patients receiving curative chemoradiation therapy, definitive radiation alone, or palliative radiation in Botswana.

Background: Cervical cancer associated with human papillomavirus has the highest cancer incidence and mortality for women in Botswana because of a high HIV prevalence and limited screening. This study investigates the significance of HIV on the overall survival (OS) of patients with locally advanced cervical cancer by various treatment categories (curative chemoradiation, definitive radiation [RT] alone, or palliative RT alone).

Methods: This study included patients diagnosed with cervical cancer between 2013 and 2020, prospectively enrolled in the Botswana Prospective Cancer Cohort.

Delays in Cervical Cancer Treatment Initiation for Patients Living With or Without HIV in Botswana: An Observational Cohort Analysis (2015-2019).

Purpose: To assess delays in treatment initiation of chemoradiation or radiation alone for patients with advanced stage cervical cancer in Botswana.

Methods And Materials: Females with locally advanced cervical cancer (stages IB2-IVB) were prospectively enrolled in an observational cohort study from 2015 to 2019. We evaluated delays at 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 or greater days between the date of diagnosis and treatment initiation.

Patterns of care and outcomes for endometrial and ovarian cancers in botswana 2015-2021.

Purpose: Endometrial and ovarian cancers are leading causes of cancer death among women. However, there is little data on these patients from low- and middle-income countries including Botswana, a country in sub-Saharan Africa. This study reports data on demographics, treatment, and outcomes for patients with endometrial and ovarian cancer in Botswana.

Stage and outcomes of invasive cervical cancer patients in Botswana: A prospective cohort study from 2013 to 2020.

Objective: To present the stage distribution, patterns of care, and outcomes of patients from Botswana with invasive cervical cancer, living with or without HIV.

Methods: Between 2013 and 2020, women with cervical cancer were prospectively enrolled in an observational cohort study.

Results: A total of 1,043 patients were enrolled; 69% were women living with HIV.

Five-year overall survival following chemoradiation therapy for locally advanced cervical carcinoma in women living with and without HIV infection in Botswana.

Purpose: To compare updated prospective 5-year survival outcomes of cervical cancer patients living with and without human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection who initiated curative chemoradiation therapy (CRT) in a resource-limited setting.

Methods & Materials: Women in Botswana with locally advanced cervical cancer were enrolled in a prospective, observational, cohort study from July 2013 through January 2015. Survival outcomes were analyzed after 5 years of follow-up.

Cervix Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa: An Assessment of Cervical Cancer Management.

Purpose: Underdeveloped nations carry the burden of most cervical cancer, yet access to adequate treatment can be challenging. This report assesses the current management of cervical cancer in sub-Saharan Africa to better understand the needs of underdeveloped nations in managing cervical cancer.

Methods: A pre- and postsurvey was sent to all centers participating in the Cervical Cancer Research Network's 4th annual symposium.

Management of Head and Neck Cancers With or Without Comorbid HIV Infection in Botswana.

Objectives/hypothesis: Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the fifth most common malignancy in sub-Saharan Africa, a region with hyperendemic human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infection. HIV patients have higher rates of HNC, yet the effect of HIV-infection on oncologic outcomes and treatment toxicity is poorly characterized.

Study Design: Prospective observational cohort study.

Association Between CD4 Count and Chemoradiation Therapy Outcomes Among Cervical Cancer Patients With HIV.

Background: In Botswana, nearly two-thirds of cervical cancer patients are HIV-positive. This study examined the relationship between CD4 count and chemoradiation therapy outcomes among cervical cancer patients with HIV.

Setting: A prospective cohort study of 231 HIV-positive women with locally invasive cervical cancer was conducted in Gaborone, Botswana from January 2015 to February 2018.

Building research capacity through programme development and research implementation in resource-limited settings - the Ipabalele study protocol: observational cohort studies determining the effect of HIV on the natural history of cervical cancer in Botswana.

Introduction: The global burden of cancer continues to increase in low- and middle-income countries, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Botswana, a middle-income country in SSA, has the second highest prevalence of HIV worldwide and has seen an increase in human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated cervical cancer over the last decade in the setting of improved survival of HIV-infected women. There is an urgent need to understand more clearly the causes and consequences of HPV-associated cervical cancer in the setting of HIV infection.

Explaining disparities in oncology health systems delays and stage at diagnosis between men and women in Botswana: A cohort study.

Purpose: Men in Botswana present with more advanced cancer than women, leading to poorer outcomes. We sought to explain sex-specific differences in time to and stage at treatment initiation.

Methods: Cancer patients who initiated oncology treatment between October 2010 and June 2017 were recruited at four oncology centers in Botswana.

HIV infection is not associated with the initiation of curative treatment in women with cervical cancer in Botswana.

Background: Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in Sub-Saharan Africa. The risk of developing cancer is increased for women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. It is unknown which factors predict the initiation of curative chemoradiotherapy (CRT) in resource-limited settings and whether HIV is associated with initiating curative CRT in settings with a high HIV burden.

Impact of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection on Survival and Acute Toxicities From Chemoradiation Therapy for Cervical Cancer Patients in a Limited-Resource Setting.

Purpose: To prospectively compare survival between human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected versus HIV-uninfected cervical cancer patients who initiated curative chemoradiation therapy (CRT) in a limited-resource setting.

Methods And Materials: Women with locally advanced cervical cancer with or without HIV infection initiating radical CRT in Botswana were enrolled in a prospective, observational, cohort study from July 2013 through January 2015.

Results: Of 182 women treated for cervical cancer during the study period, 143 women initiating curative CRT were included in the study.

American Brachytherapy Society: Brachytherapy treatment recommendations for locally advanced cervix cancer for low-income and middle-income countries.

Purpose: Most cervix cancer cases occur in low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC), and outcomes are suboptimal, even for early stage disease. Brachytherapy plays a central role in the treatment paradigm, improving both local control and overall survival. The American Brachytherapy Society (ABS) aims to provide guidelines for brachytherapy delivery in resource-limited settings.

HIV Infection and Survival Among Women With Cervical Cancer.

Purpose Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among the 20 million women with HIV worldwide. We sought to determine whether HIV infection affected survival in women with invasive cervical cancer. Patients and Methods We enrolled sequential patients with cervical cancer in Botswana from 2010 to 2015.

Cervical Cancer in Botswana: Current State and Future Steps for Screening and Treatment Programs.

Botswana has a high burden of cervical cancer due to a limited screening program and high HIV prevalence. About 60% of the cervical cancer patients are HIV positive; most present with advanced cervical disease. Through initiatives by the Botswana Ministry of Health and various strategic partnerships, strides have been made in treatment of pre-invasive and invasive cancer.

Establishing and Delivering Quality Radiation Therapy in Resource-Constrained Settings: The Story of Botswana.

There is a global cancer crisis, and it is disproportionately affecting resource-constrained settings, especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Radiotherapy is a critical and cost-effective component of a comprehensive cancer control plan that offers the potential for cure, control, and palliation of disease in greater than 50% of patients with cancer. Globally, LMICs do not have adequate access to quality radiation therapy and this gap is particularly pronounced in sub-Saharan Africa.

Addressing the growing cancer burden in the wake of the AIDS epidemic in Botswana: The BOTSOGO collaborative partnership.

Botswana has experienced a dramatic increase in HIV-related malignancies over the past decade. The BOTSOGO collaboration sought to establish a sustainable partnership with the Botswana oncology community to improve cancer care. This collaboration is anchored by regular tumor boards and on-site visits that have resulted in the introduction of new approaches to treatment and perceived improvements in care, providing a model for partnership between academic oncology centers and high-burden countries with limited resources.