Screening and early detection of cancers are essential to reducing cancer mortality globally. These services are particularly important for cervical cancer, which can be prevented by the detection and treatment of pre-cancerous cervical lesions. Responding to the high rates of cervical cancer in Cameroon, the Cameroon Oncology Center (COC) purchased a colposcope to examine women for cancerous or pre-cancerous cervical lesions. To help COC staff maximize use of the colposcope, BVGH arranged for a team of expert gynecologists from the Cameroon Arizona Project (CAP) – Dr. Mike Brady, Dr. David Greenspan, and Dr. Danielle Dukes – to visit COC and train staff on colposcopy best practices. During their visit, the teams from Cameroon and Arizona screened ten patients for cervical cancer and forged a strong, new partnership. “We were so impressed with all the doctors, nurses, and staff at Cameroon Oncology Center. They are saving lives!”, shared Dr. Greenspan. As a result of this initial success, COC, CAP, and BVGH are planning to expand the collaboration with digital support of screening events led by COC across various regions of Cameroon.
Program supported by Amgen and Bayer.