Assessing the impact of cervical cancer education in two high schools in Ghana.

Background: Cervical cancer is one of the commonest female cancers in Ghana. However, it is preventable. Prevention through Human Papilloma Virus immunization and early detection by screening have their foundation in awareness and a good knowledge about the disease.

Development of a Culturally Appropriate Text Messaging Platform for Improving Breast Cancer Screening Uptake Among Ghanaian Women in Metropolitan Areas.

Early detection through screening could improve breast cancer (BC) outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). We explored women's preferences for BC-related mobile health text messaging, described the development of a mobile-health text messaging platform, and examined the enablers and barriers to BC screening. A concurrent mixed-method study of women aged 40-59 years was conducted.

Antibiotic use in surgical infections at a tertiary teaching hospital in Ghana.

Objective: The study aimed to assess antibiotic prescribing and use patterns at the Department of Surgery, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

Design: A cross-sectional study design was employed in this study.

Setting: The study was conducted at the Department of Surgery, Korle Bu Teaching Hospital.

An unusual case of incidental pancreatic neuroendocrine tumor presenting with main pancreatic duct cystic dilatation.

Introduction: Pancreatic lesions have varied morphology and presentation making their diagnosis challenging. The lesions may be asymptomatic incidentalomas on abdominal imaging for other conditions, symptomatic producing specific hormone effects or causing local effects.

Case: We report a 35-year-old woman with recurrent abdominal pain confirmed gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Effectiveness of a culturally tailored text messaging program for promoting cervical cancer screening in accra, Ghana: a quasi-experimental trial.

Introduction: Despite breakthroughs in cervical cancer detection, resource-constrained countries continue to have a disproportionately high incidence and death rate. Mhealth has been identified as an important tool for increasing cervical cancer screening rates in Sub-Saharan Africa. We determined whether sending Ghanaian women culturally tailored one-way mobile phone SMS text messages about cervical cancer would encourage the uptake of the human papillomavirus (HPV) test.

Management of recurrent pheochromocytoma in pregnancy in a young Ghanaian.

The co-existence of pheochromocytoma and pregnancy is rare, with poor maternal and foetal outcomes. This is a case report of a young Ghanaian woman with a pre-existing diagnosis of recurrent pheochromocytoma who became pregnant and experienced elevated blood pressure in the third trimester with proteinuria and abnormal liver function. She was managed as an in-patient and delivered a live baby via caesarean section at 34 weeks after detecting intra-uterine growth restriction.

BRCA1 gene polymorphism and finger dermatoglyphic patterns in Ghanaian breast cancer patients: a quantitative cross-sectional approach.

Introduction: breast cancer development is linked to mutant single nucleotide polymorphism of breast cancer type 1 (BRCA1) gene usually harboured within exon 11. It has also been linked to finger dermatoglyphics where certain patterns have been associated with breast cancer. This study suggests a possible relationship between finger dermatoglyphic patterns and single nucleotide polymorphism of BRCA1 gene.

The impact of a breast cancer educational intervention in Ghanaian high schools.

Introduction: Globally breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer with an estimated 2.3 million new cases and 685,000 deaths in 2020. Late presentation is the hallmark of breast cancer in Ghana for which ignorance and fear are the major reasons fuelled largely by myths and misconceptions.

Developing a culturally tailored short message service (SMS) intervention for improving the uptake of cervical cancer screening among Ghanaian women in urban communities.

Background: There has been extensive research across the globe to understand the barriers and facilitators of cervical cancer (CC) screening. However, few studies have focused on how such information has been used to develop text messages for mHealth screening programs, especially in resource-poor countries. This study elicited information on barriers and facilitators, the preferences of women regarding the modalities for delivery of health SMS messages on screening for cervical cancer, and demonstrates how this information was used to create a health screening program among women in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

Reduced Serum Circulation of Cell-Free DNA Following Chemotherapy in Breast Cancer Patients.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women, with alarming mortalities. Neoadjuvant treatments employ chemotherapy to shrink tumours to a well-defined size for a better surgical outcome. The current means of assessing effectiveness of chemotherapy management are imprecise.

Antibiotic prescribing and the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana: a pilot study.

Introduction: This study sought to identify the association of antibiotic prescribing and the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea (AAD) in Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH) in Ghana.

Methodology: Patients from the Male Urology Ward and Treatment Room of the Surgical Department of KBTH were followed up over three months to determine if they had experienced any unusual diarrhoeal illness after antibiotic therapy. 81 eligible patients (adults) were included in the study but a total of 70 patients (mean age of 56.

Prospecting for Breast Cancer Blood Biomarkers: Death-Associated Protein Kinase 1 (DAPK1) as a Potential Candidate.

Background: Breast cancer is the commonest malignancy in women worldwide. It is estimated to affect approximately 1.5 million women annually and responsible for the greatest number of cancer-related mortalities among women.

Circulating cell-free DNA integrity as a diagnostic and prognostic marker for breast and prostate cancers.

Background: Cancer incidence and its related mortality is rising and is currently the second leading cause of death globally. In Africa, breast and prostate cancer in females and males, respectively, are the worst globally. However, biomarkers for their early detection and prognosis are not well developed.

Antibiotic use in a tertiary healthcare facility in Ghana: a point prevalence survey.

Background: The global rise and spread of antibiotic resistance is limiting the usefulness of antibiotics in the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. The use of antibiotic stewardship programs guided by local data on prescribing practices is a useful strategy to control and reduce antibiotic resistance. Our objective in this study was to determine the prevalence and indications for use of antibiotics at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital Accra, Ghana.

A retrospective analysis of breast cancer subtype based on ER/PR and HER2 status in Ghanaian patients at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, Ghana.

Background: Breast cancer is a heterogeneous disease composed of multiple subgroups with different molecular alterations, cellular composition, clinical behaviour, and response to treatment. This study evaluates the occurrence of the various subtypes and their clinical and pathological behaviour in the Ghanaian breast cancer population at the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital (KBTH).

Methods: Retrospective review of case notes of patients who had completed treatment for breast cancer at the KBTH within the last 5 years was conducted between April 2011 and March 2012.

Barriers to the uptake of laparoscopic surgery in a lower-middle-income country.

Background: Despite the significant improvements in surgical care in developed countries, the adoption of laparoscopy in lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) has been sporadic and minimal. Although the most quoted explanation for this has been an apparent lack of resources and training, recent studies have demonstrated that these constraints may not be the only significant barrier. The overall aim of this study was to analyze barriers to the adoption of laparoscopic surgery at a hospital in an LMIC.