Background: While the burden of cancer in Africa is rapidly rising, there is a lack of investment in healthcare professionals to deliver care. Here we report the results of a survey of systemic therapy workload of oncologists in Africa in comparison to oncologists in other countries.
Methods: An online survey was distributed through a snowball method via national oncology societies to chemotherapy-prescribing physicians in 65 countries. The survey was distributed within Africa through a network of physicians associated with the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC). Workload was measured as the annual number of new cancer patient consults seen per oncologist. Job satisfaction was ranked on a 10-point Likert scale; scores of 9-10 were considered to represent high job satisfaction.
Results: Thirty-six oncologists from 18 countries in Africa and 1079 oncologists from 47 other countries completed the survey. Compared to oncologists from other countries, African oncologists were older (median age 51 vs 44 years, = 0.007), more likely to prescribe chemotherapy and radiation [61% (22/36) vs 10% (108/1079), < 0.001], less likely to have completed training in their home country [50% (18/36) vs 91% (979/1079), p < 0.001], and more likely to work in the private sector [47% (17/36) vs 34% (364/1079), = 0.037]. The median number of annual consults per oncologist was 325 in Africa compared to175 in other countries. The proportion of oncologists seeing > 500 consults/year was 31% (11/36) in Africa compared to 12% (129/1079) in other countries ( = 0.001). African oncologists were more likely than global colleagues to see all cancer sites [72% (26/26) vs 24% (261/1079), < 0.001]. Oncologists in Africa were less likely than other oncologists to have high job satisfaction [17% (6/36) vs 30% (314/1079), = 0.013].
Conclusion: African oncologists within the AORTIC network have a substantially higher clinical workload and lower job satisfaction than oncologists elsewhere in the world. There is an urgent need for governments and health systems to improve the oncologist-to-patient ratio and develop new models of capacity building, retention and skills enhancement to strengthen the wide variety of cancer care systems across continental Africa.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13027-019-0227-8 | DOI Listing |
Curr Oncol
December 2024
Department of Radiation Oncology, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, 610 University Ave, Toronto, ON M5G 2M9, Canada.
This study aimed to examine the education and training needs of health care practitioners (HCPs) in the Philippines who encounter lung oligometastatic cancer patients. Lung oligometastatic disease is among the most common sites for cancer spread and has the most established practices for treating oligometastases. A modified version of the Hennessy-Hicks Training Needs Assessment Questionnaire was administered online to HCPs working in private and public centers in the Philippines.
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December 2024
Department of Hematology, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha410011, China.
The current study aimed to understand the current status and problems of marginal zone lymphoma (MZL) in the diagnosis and treatment of hospitals at all levels in China. A multi-center questionnaire survey was conducted in a number of medical institutions across the country. A combination of online questionnaire survey and face-to-face interview was adopted.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEur J Surg Oncol
December 2024
University Medical Center Utrecht Cancer Center & St. Antonius Hospital Nieuwegein, Regional Academic Cancer Center Utrecht, Department of Surgery, the Netherlands. Electronic address:
Introduction: Adjuvant chemotherapy improves survival in patients with resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The decision to initiate chemotherapy involves both patient and physician factors, decision-specific criteria, and contextual considerations. This study aimed to assess medical oncologists' views on adjuvant chemotherapy following pancreatic resection for PDAC.
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December 2024
Department of Medical Oncology, Institut Curie, Paris, France.
Background: Differentiating benign anterior mediastinal cysts from malignancies is challenging in clinical practice. International guidelines on optimal diagnostics and treatment for anterior mediastinal cystic lesions are lacking. The first part of the DETECTION project focuses on possible heterogeneity in diagnostics and treatment of anterior mediastinal cystic lesions among international thoracic medical experts.
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November 2024
Medical Oncology Unit, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy. Electronic address:
Background: Medical cannabis (MC) has gained traction in oncology for managing cancer-related symptoms, but its integration faces challenges due to limited evidence, inconsistent guidelines, and varied legal frameworks.
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