| Literature DB >> 26992690 |
Neo M Tapela1,2,3,4, Tharcisse Mpunga5, Bethany Hedt-Gauthier6,7,8, Molly Moore9, Egide Mpanumusingo5, Mary Jue Xu8, Ignace Nzayisenga6, Vedaste Hategekimana5, Denis Gilbert Umuhizi5, Lydia E Pace8, Jean Bosco Bigirimana6, JingJing Wang6, Caitlin Driscoll10, Frank R Uwizeye6, Peter C Drobac6,7,8, Gedeon Ngoga6, Cyprien Shyirambere6, Clemence Muhayimana5, Leslie Lehmann6,7,8,11, Lawrence N Shulman6,7,12.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Cancer services are inaccessible in many low-income countries, and few published examples describe oncology programs within the public sector. In 2011, the Rwanda Ministry of Health (RMOH) established Butaro Cancer Center of Excellence (BCCOE) to expand cancer services nationally. In hopes of informing cancer care delivery in similar settings, we describe program-level experience implementing BCCOE, patient characteristics, and challenges encountered.Entities:
Keywords: Cancer; Capacity building; Implementation; Resource-limited setting; Rwanda; Task-shifting; Twinning
Mesh:
Year: 2016 PMID: 26992690 PMCID: PMC4797361 DOI: 10.1186/s12885-016-2256-7
Source DB: PubMed Journal: BMC Cancer ISSN: 1471-2407 Impact factor: 4.430
Staffing at BCCOE
| Initial projectionsa | Dec 2012 | Dec 2013 | Dec 2014 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clinical | Physicians | ||||
| Internists | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| Pediatricians | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| General Practitioners | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
| General Surgeonb | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | |
| OB/GYNb | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | ||
| Nurses | |||||
| Inpatient | 7 | 7 | 13 | 22 | |
| Outpatientc | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | |
| Care Coordinator | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Histopathology Technicians | - | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| Nutritionist | - | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Social Worker | - | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Programmatic | Program Director | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Program Manager | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Administrative Assistant | - | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Research Assistant | - | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Data Officer | - | 0 | 1 | 1 |
aInitial projections based upon MOH estimates for 27-bed unit and 25 % annual increase in patient population
b provide care for cancer and non-cancer patients
cOutpatient nurses shared with the NCD clinic
Outline of Rwanda national cancer protocols, using breast cancer as an example
| Each protocol: | |
|---|---|
| • Places evidence-based practices in the context of national resources. Where clinical trials specific to resource-constrained settings have been conducted, associated protocols are applied | |
| • Is organized in a consistent format, with each protocol including subsections on screening, presenting signs and symptoms, pathology-based diagnosis, staging, treatment, and long-term follow up. | |
| • Specifies the minimal essential work-up required to yield accurate, pathology-based diagnosis and inform management decision-making within the treatment options available. At BCCOE, testing for HER2 status is not routinely performed given limited availability of HER2-targeted therapies such as trastuzumab. | |
| • Reflects staging classification that is clinically relevant and in line with treatment options. Three broad classifications/treatment groups for breast cancer are: early, locally advanced and metastatic. | |
| • Takes into account the currently limited availability of radiotherapy. Mastectomy (with level I/II lymph node dissection) is prioritized as surgical treatment of choice over lumpectomy. | |
| • Allows flexibility to address socioeconomic and logistical challenges seen in these settings. Weekly dosing of paclitaxel is employed where possible, however every three weeks dosing is offered given fewer barriers associated with the fewer hospital visits. |
For more detailed reference, copies of individual protocols are available upon request.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients seen at BCCOE during first year
| Characteristics | Patients presenting for cancer evaluation/care in year one ( | Patients diagnosed with cancer in year one ( | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | % | n | % | |
| Age | 1144 | 100.00 | 759 | 100.00 |
| <18 | 135 | 11.80 | 102 | 13.44 |
| 18–45 | 470 | 41.08 | 247 | 32.54 |
| 46–60 | 334 | 29.20 | 256 | 33.73 |
| >60 | 205 | 17.92 | 154 | 20.29 |
| Gender | 1144 | 100.00 | 759 | 100.00 |
| Male | 355 | 31.03 | 240 | 31.62 |
| Female | 789 | 68.97 | 519 | 68.38 |
| Residence Province | 1144 | 100.01 | 759 | 100.00 |
| Northern Province - within Burera District | 168 | 14.69 | 67 | 8.83 |
| Northern Province- OUTSIDE Burera District | 226 | 19.76 | 136 | 17.92 |
| Other Provinces within Rwanda | 702 | 61.36 | 522 | 68.77 |
| Outside Rwanda | 13 | 1.14 | 11 | 1.45 |
| Unknown or not documented | 35 | 3.06 | 23 | 3.03 |
| Type of referring facility | 1144 | 100.00 | 759 | 100.00 |
| Referral or District Hospital | 735 | 64.25 | 549 | 72.33 |
| Other type of facility (including outside Rwanda) | 153 | 13.37 | 90 | 11.86 |
| Not documented | 256 | 22.38 | 120 | 15.81 |
| Insurance Status | 1144 | 100.00 | 750 | 98.82 |
| Mutuelles | 821 | 71.77 | 564 | 74.31 |
| Other or not documented | 323 | 28.23 | 186 | 24.51 |
| HIV status at intake | 1144 | 100.00 | 759 | 100.00 |
| Positive | 67 | 5.86 | 57 | 7.51 |
| Negative | 500 | 43.71 | 367 | 48.35 |
| Unknown or not documented | 577 | 50.43 | 335 | 44.14 |
| Smoking history | 1144 | 100.00 | 759 | 100.01 |
| Current of previous | 189 | 16.52 | 150 | 19.77 |
| Never | 645 | 56.38 | 471 | 62.06 |
| Unknown or not documented | 310 | 27.10 | 138 | 18.18 |
| Performance status at intake (ECOG) a | 759 | 100.00 | ||
| 0 | 313 | 41.24 | ||
| 1 | 102 | 13.44 | ||
| 2 | 46 | 6.06 | ||
| 3 | 29 | 3.82 | ||
| 4 | 13 | 1.71 | ||
| Unknown or not documented | 256 | 33.73 | ||
aECOG: Eastern Cooperation Oncology Group [17]
Types of cancers diagnosed in patients enrolled at BCCOE during first year
| Cancers only ( | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n | % | n | % | ||
| Cancer Type Adults (18 years or older) | 657 | 100.0 | Cancer Type Children (<18 years) | 102 | 100.0 |
| Breast cancer | 189 | 28.8 | Nephroblastoma | 28 | 27.5 |
| Cervical Cancer | 141 | 21.5 | ALLa | 25 | 24.5 |
| Non-Kaposi skin cancer | 46 | 7.0 | Hodgkin lymphoma | 10 | 9.8 |
| Head and neck cancer | 38 | 5.8 | Rhabdomyosarcoma | 7 | 6.9 |
| Colorectal cancer | 26 | 4.0 | Burkitt Lymphoma | 5 | 4.9 |
| Other Gynecological Malignancies | 26 | 4.0 | Osteosarcoma | 5 | 4.9 |
| CMLa | 22 | 3.4 | Head and neck cancer | 4 | 3.9 |
| Other Non Hodgkin’s lymphoma | 21 | 3.2 | Other Leukemias | 4 | 3.9 |
| Gastric cancer | 21 | 3.2 | Other Non Hodgkin’s lymphoma | 3 | 2.9 |
| Kaposi sarcoma | 16 | 2.4 | Other Bone Cancers | 3 | 2.9 |
| Prostate cancer | 16 | 2.4 | Kaposi’s sarcoma | 2 | 2.0 |
| Other GIa | 14 | 2.1 | Other Gynecological Malignancies | 2 | 2.0 |
| Hodgkin’s lymphoma | 13 | 2.0 | Breast cancer | 1 | 1.0 |
| Soft-tissue Sarcomas | 12 | 1.8 | CMLa | 1 | 1.0 |
| Other GUa | 11 | 1.7 | Metastatic (unknown primary) | 1 | 1.0 |
| Other solid cancers | 9 | 1.4 | Skin cancer | 1 | 1.0 |
| Other Leukemias | 8 | 1.2 | |||
| ALLa | 7 | 1.1 | |||
| Metastatic (unknown primary) | 5 | 0.8 | |||
| Multiple myeloma | 5 | 0.8 | |||
| Osteosarcoma | 3 | 0.5 | |||
| Unknown type | 2 | 0.3 | |||
| Rhabdomyosarcoma | 2 | 0.3 | |||
| Other Bone Cancers | 2 | 0.3 | |||
| Large B-cell lymphoma | 1 | 0.2 | |||
| Nephroblastoma | 1 | 0.2 | |||
a CML chronic myeloid leukemia, Other GI other gastrointestinal cancers, Other GU other genitourinary cancers, ALL acute lymphoblastic leukemia