Burkitt lymphoma: The effect of age, sex and delay to diagnosis on treatment completion and outcome of treatment in 934 Patients in Cameroon.

Introduction: The role of age and sex in the presentation and outcome of endemic Burkitt lymphoma (BL) has not been studied recently. This study analysed these factors in 934 patients with BL who had received cyclophosphamide and intrathecal methotrexate as treatment.

Methods: Records of 934 children diagnosed with BL from 2004 to 2015 were obtained from our Paediatric Oncology Networked Database (POND) cancer registry.

Outcome of retinoblastoma treatment protocol in Cameroon as per SIOP-PODC recommendation for a low-income setting.

Introduction: The International Society of Paediatric Oncology-Paediatric Oncology in Developing Countries (SIOP-PODC) group recommended graduated-intensity retinoblastoma treatment for children in low- and middle-income countries with limited local resources.

Aim: The aim was to improve outcome of children with retinoblastoma by means of a treatment protocol for low-income settings as recommended by the SIOP-PODC recommendation in Cameroon.

Methods: Children diagnosed with retinoblastoma between 2012 and 2016 were treated in two Baptist Mission hospitals in Cameroon, staging according to the International Retinoblastoma Staging System.

Two decades of childhood cancer care in Cameroon: 2000-2020.

Background: Before the year 2000, there was no dedicated childhood cancer service in Cameroon. The aim of this study was to investigate the progress made with pediatric oncology care in Cameroon from 2000 to 2020.

Method: A literature search was conducted for published articles on childhood cancer in Cameroon and relevant documents, and conference abstracts were reviewed.

The outcome and cost of a capacity-building training programme on the early recognition and referral of childhood cancer for healthcare workers in North-West Cameroon.

Aim: Early cancer diagnosis is necessary to improve survival rates. The aim of this study was to assess the outcome and cost of the childhood cancer training programme amongst healthcare workers.

Design: This was a prospective pre-post study design, using questionnaires for pre- and post-training testing.

The Evolution of a Hospital-Based Cancer Registry in Northwest Cameroon from 2004 to 2015.

Effective cancer registration is required for the development of cancer management policies, but is often deficient in the developing world. In 2008 cancer registration was set up Banso Baptist Hospital and Mbingo Baptist Hospital in the Northwest region of Cameroon, using the Pediatric Oncology Networked Database (POND). The objective of this study was to analyze the POND registry data for patients with cancer aged 0-15 years for the period 2004-15.

Traditional and Complementary Medicine in Pediatric Oncology and Low-Middle Income Countries: Recommendations from the International Society of Pediatric Oncology (SIOP), T&CM Collaborative.

Significant strides have been made in the treatment of childhood cancer. Improvements in survival have led to increased attention toward supportive care indications; including the use of traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM). The use of T&CM among children and adolescents with cancer is well documented in both high-income countries (HICs) and low-middle income countries (LMICs).

The role of traditional healers in the diagnosis and management of Burkitt lymphoma in Cameroon: understanding the challenges and moving forward.

Background: Burkittlymphoma(BL) is the most common childhood cancer in Cameroon with a reported incidence of 3 per 100,000 children under 15 years in the Northwest region. Treatment at three Baptist mission hospitals has a recorded cure rate of over 50%. Traditional medicine(TM) is recognized by the national health system, but its scope is undefined and entraps children with BL.

An evaluation of a palliative care outreach programme for children with Burkitt lymphoma in rural Cameroon.

Background: Palliative care (PC) is the most appropriate treatment for patients with life-limiting, incurable diseases, but it is a relatively new concept in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). A lack of curative treatment options for some conditions creates a great need for PC, but such services are rarely provided in SSA. More research into PC in SSA is urgently needed to create an evidence base to confirm the importance of appropriate PC services.

Clinical trials to improve childhood cancer care and survival in sub-Saharan Africa.

Over 80% of children with cancer live in low and middle-income countries where survival rates are much lower than high-income countries. Challenges to successful treatment of paediatric cancers in these countries include late presentation, malnutrition, failure to complete treatment and less-intense supportive care leading to increased treatment-related mortality and the need to reduce the intensity of treatment. Clinical trials can contribute to improved care and survival by providing objective information on the number of patients treated, accuracy of diagnosis, causes of treatment failure and the efficacy of specific interventions.

Meeting the challenge of hematologic malignancies in sub-Saharan Africa.

Cancer is a leading cause of death and disability in sub-Saharan Africa and will eclipse infectious diseases within the next several decades if current trends continue. Hematologic malignancies, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma, leukemia, Hodgkin lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, account for nearly 10% of the overall cancer burden in the region, and the incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphoma and Hodgkin lymphoma is rapidly increasing as a result of HIV. Despite an increasing burden, mechanisms for diagnosing, treating, and palliating malignant hematologic disorders are inadequate.

Malawi pilot study of Burkitt lymphoma treatment.

Background: Burkitt lymphoma (BL) accounts for 50% of childhood cancer in Malawi. Lack of resources precludes the use of new successful treatment approaches such as the LMB 89 group B protocol, which cures >80% of children with stage III BL with high dose chemotherapy and matching supportive care. Our objective was to achieve a good cure rate in Murphy stage I-III BL with manageable toxicity in Malawi at a drug cost of <1000 US dollars per patient.

Evaluation of young children in contact with adult multidrug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis: a 30-month follow-up.

Setting: The Western Cape Province of South Africa, an area with a high tuberculosis (TB) incidence, where initial multidrug resistance (MDR) among adult TB cases was 1.1% during 1992-1993.

Objective: To determine the long-term prevalence of TB infection and disease in children in household contact with adults with MDR pulmonary TB, and to establish the efficacy of chemoprophylaxis in preventing disease in these children.