In sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 80% of breast cancer patients are diagnosed with late stage (stages III or IV) disease. In contrast, in the U.S. and other high-income countries, only 15% of breast cancer patients are diagnosed with late-stage disease. Across Africa, the lack of awareness and understanding of cancer contributes to these higher rates ofContinue reading “Educational Materials Promote General Cancer Awareness and Guide Newly Diagnosed Cancer Patients”
Author Archives: bvghseattle
Hospitals Equipped with Skills to Bolster Patient Navigation
At the request of the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, BVGH organized and led a 7-lecture AAI digital training program on cancer patient navigation. This course, which was designed to support UNTH’s patient navigation unit, attracted 600 participants from 37 countries, including 583 participants from 23 African countries. Experts from Ohio State University,Continue reading “Hospitals Equipped with Skills to Bolster Patient Navigation “
Ivorian Laboratory Professionals Gain Experience Managing Cancer Specimens and Diagnosing Blood Cancers
Ms. Lee Davis demonstrates grossing techniques to CHU Cocody healthcare staff The preparation and evaluation of cancer specimens by laboratory staff are vital to understanding a patient’s cancer type and severity – and ultimately ensuring an accurate diagnosis. Building upon its previous training programs for pathologists in Côte d’Ivoire, BVGH partnered with Prof. Brahima Doukouré,Continue reading “Ivorian Laboratory Professionals Gain Experience Managing Cancer Specimens and Diagnosing Blood Cancers”
ASCO, BVGH, and HOGIP Lead Workshop to Improve Palliative Care in Senegal
Palliative care is an essential component of cancer patient management. The practice helps manage patients’ symptoms, improve their quality of life, and ensure patients’ comfort at the end of their lives. Palliative care is particularly important in Africa, where the majority of cancer patients are diagnosed with late-stage diseases, which often have more symptoms andContinue reading “ASCO, BVGH, and HOGIP Lead Workshop to Improve Palliative Care in Senegal”
Community Leaders and Influencers Gather in Abidjan to Become Cancer Awareness Champions
Attendees of the community awareness training workshop More than half of Côte d’Ivoire’s cancer patients are diagnosed with late-stage malignancies. Awareness of cancer symptoms and the timely engagement of primary care providers are key factors that promote earlier diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients. Primary care providers (PCPs), community health workers (CHWs), and community leadersContinue reading “Community Leaders and Influencers Gather in Abidjan to Become Cancer Awareness Champions”
Multidisciplinary Care Teams Empowered to Implement Tumor Boards
Participants collage of the Fundamentals of Tumor Board Management digital course Tumor boards enable a multidisciplinary team of healthcare experts – including oncologists, nurses, pathologists, radiologists, surgeons, and more – to review complex cancer cases and identify the most effective treatment strategy for those patients. While routinely practiced in the USA since the 1990s, theContinue reading “Multidisciplinary Care Teams Empowered to Implement Tumor Boards”
Forging U.S.+ Nigeria Collaboration to Enable Advanced Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer Patients
Due to the complex and varied anatomy of the head and neck, as well as the aggressiveness and heterogeneity of head and neck cancers, treatment of these malignancies is particularly challenging. Building on BVGH’s partnership with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) and Nigeria’s commitment to building the oncology workforce, BVGH organized a one-month observershipContinue reading “Forging U.S.+ Nigeria Collaboration to Enable Advanced Treatment of Head and Neck Cancer Patients”
Bridging the Knowledge Gap: Impact of Community Outreach on Childhood Cancer Awareness and Hospital Navigation in Nigeria
Bridging the Knowledge Gap: Impact of Community Outreach on Childhood Cancer Awareness and Hospital Navigation in Nigeria Contributing Authors: Zainab Shinkafi Bagudu, MBBS, Medicaid Cancer Foundation, Nigeria Maryam Mukhtar Ali, Medicaid Cancer Foundation, Nigeria Micaella Jorge, PhD, BIO Ventures for Global Health, USA Introduction Childhood cancer is an emerging public health concern in many low-resourceContinue reading “Bridging the Knowledge Gap: Impact of Community Outreach on Childhood Cancer Awareness and Hospital Navigation in Nigeria”
Trainees Gain Valuable Knowledge of Hematologic Malignancies
Despite hematologic malignancies such as leukemias and myeloproliferative disorders being highly prevalent in Africa, pathology laboratories in public cancer hospitals have limited capacity to diagnose patients. In response to requests from AAI partner hospitals, BVGH developed a 7-session French-language and a 9-session English-language set of digital courses titled “2024 AAI Pathology of Hematologic Malignancies”. TheContinue reading “Trainees Gain Valuable Knowledge of Hematologic Malignancies”
Clinical Trial Management and Site Readiness Strengthened
BVGH organized and led an 11-lecture digital training program on the basics of clinical trial management. The course, which was designed for professionals in low- and middle-income countries who are interested in conducting clinical trials, attracted 5,752 participants from 111 countries globally. Experts from the United States Food and Drug Administration, Cleveland Clinic, Johns HopkinsContinue reading “Clinical Trial Management and Site Readiness Strengthened”