The lancet oncology
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Until recently, the Malawian capital of Lilongwe was without diagnostic pathology services, which left many patients with cancer facing serious diagnostic delays. Through collaboration with the University of North Carolina and other partners, a pathology laboratory was successfully established at Kamuzu Central Hospital in July, 2011, providing an essential foundation for cancer diagnosis and research in the country's largest city.
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The lancet oncology · Apr 2013
Status of radiotherapy resources in Africa: an International Atomic Energy Agency analysis.
Radiation therapy is an important component of cancer control programmes. The scarcity of radiation oncology resources in Africa is becoming more severe as cancer incidence increases in the continent. We did a longitudinal assessment of the status of radiation oncology resources in Africa to measure the extent of the problem and the effects of programmes designed to enhance radiation services in the continent. ⋯ These facilities are concentrated in the southern and northern states of the continent. Brachytherapy resources (high-dose rate or low-dose rate) were only available in 20 of the 52 African countries. Although progress has been made in the establishment of radiation oncology services in some countries, a large need still exists for basic radiation services, and much resource mobilisation is needed for services to keep pace with the burgeoning populations of many countries.
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The lancet oncology · Apr 2013
Developing cancer control plans in Africa: examples from five countries.
The creation and implementation of national cancer control plans is becoming increasingly necessary for countries in Africa, with the number of new cancer cases per year in the continent expected to reach up to 1·5 million by 2020. Examples from South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria, Ghana, and Rwanda describe the state of national cancer control plans and their implementation. Whereas in Rwanda the emphasis is on development of basic facilities needed for cancer care, in those countries with more developed economies, such as South Africa and Nigeria, the political will to fund national cancer control plans is limited, even though the plans exist and are otherwise well conceived. Improved awareness of the increasing burden of cancer and increased advocacy are needed to put pressure on governments to develop, fund, and implement national cancer control plans across the continent.