Is Schistosomiasis a Risk Factor for Bladder Cancer? Evidence-Based Facts

Background. Globally, approximately 20% of malignancy are caused by infection. Schistosoma infection is a major cause of bladder in most part of Africa. In 2018 alone, there were approximately 549,393 new cases and 199,922 deaths from bladder cancer. The presence of Schistosoma ova in the venous plexus of the bladder induces a cascade of inflammation causing significant tissue damage and granulomatous changes. Methodology. A literature review was conducted from 1995 to 2019 using PubMed, Google Scholar, African Journal Online, and Google databases. Relevant data on the association of “Schistosomiasis and Bladder cancer” in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) were retrieved. Evidence Synthesis. Results from research using animal models to establish the carcinogenesis of Schistosoma and bladder cancer have been helpful but inconclusive. Immunoregulatory cytokines and genetic marker have been identified to play a role in the pathogenesis. In some parts of sub-Saharan Africa, there has been close association of squamous cell carcinoma and histological evidence of Schistosoma ova. Conclusion. There are some data to support the association between schistosomiasis and bladder cancer in sub-Saharan Africa. However, these have been limited by their design and may not sufficiently establish carcinogenesis. There is a need for more genomic and molecular research to better characterize S. haematobium and its effects on the bladder. Such goal will contribute immensely to Schistosoma bladder cancer prevention and control

Epidemiological and Diagnostic Aspects of Bladder Bilharziomas in the Urology Department of Idrissa Pouye General Hospital (HOGIP)

Objective. The aim of our study is to assess the diagnostic aspects of bladder bilharzioma in the Urology Department of Idrissa Pouye General Hospital (Senegal). Materials and Methods. It is a descriptive study from January 2013 to December 2018. The patients included in the study were those who had anatomopathological examination of bladder biopsy that showed a schistosomiasis pseudotumor of the bladder. The variables studied were sociodemographic, clinical symptoms, imaging findings, histology, and treatment. The data have been saved and analyzed by the 2013 Excel software. Results. Thirteen patients were included in our study. The average age was 27 ± 12.1 years. Sex ratio was 1.6. The majority of the patients were from the northern part of Senegal. Hematuria was the main symptom for all the patients. Cystoscopy was performed for all the patients and showed 5 granulomas and 8 fibrocalcic polyps. A transurethral resection of the bladder was performed, and treatment with praziquantel (40 mg/kg of bodyweight) has been carried out. One patient presented precancerous lesions such as metaplasia and dysplasia of the bladder mucosa. After a median follow-up of 40 months (6–57 months), ten patients had a favorable clinical and endoscopic outcome. Conclusion. Granulomas and fibrocalcic polyps of the bladder mucosa are, respectively, confused with squamous cell carcinoma and bladder lithiasis in endemic areas of schistosomiasis. Good cystoscopy interpretation can provide the diagnosis of bladder bilharzioma and start the treatment

Chronic viral hepatitis, HIV infection and Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas in West Africa, a case-control study

Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas (NHL) are underestimated causes of cancer in West Africa where chronic viral hepatitis and HIV are endemic. While the association with HIV infection has already been characterized, limited information is available on the association between chronic viral hepatitis and NHL in sub-Saharan Africa A case-control study was conducted in referral hospitals of Abidjan (Cote d'Ivoire) and Dakar (Senegal). Cases of NHL were matched with controls on age, gender and participating site. The diagnosis of NHL relied on local pathological examination completed with immunohistochemistry. HIV, HBV and HCV serology tests were systematically performed. A conditional logistic regression model estimated the associations by the Odds Ratio (OR) with their 95% confidence interval (CI). A total of 117 NHL cases (Abidjan n=97, Dakar n=20) and their 234 matched controls were enrolled. Cases were predominantly men (68.4%) and had a median age of 50 years (IQR 37 - 57). While Diffuse Large B-cell lymphoma were the most reported morphological type (n=35) among mature B-cell NHL, the proportion mature T-cell NHL (30%) was high. The prevalence figures of HBV, HCV and HIV infection were 12.8%, 7.7% and 14.5%, respectively among cases of NHL. In multivariate analysis, HBV, HCV and HIV were independently associated with NHL with OR of 2.23 (CI 1.05-4.75), 4.82 (CI 1.52-15.29) and 3.32 (CI 1.54-7.16), respectively. Chronic viral hepatitis B and C were significantly associated with NHL in West Africa. Timely preventive measures against HBV infection and access to curative anti-HCV treatment might prevent a significant number of NHL

Utility of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded prostate biospecimens from low-resource settings for use in next-generation sequencing studies in African-descent populations

# Background Men of African ancestry experience higher burden from prostate cancer compared to men of other ancestral backgrounds. Limitations in the availability of high-quality biospecimens hinder the inclusion of this population in genetic studies of prostate cancer. The use of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues represent a potential rich source of genetic material particularly in some international settings, where fresh frozen tissue is difficult to obtain. In this study, we investigate the feasibility of using FFPE biospecimens acquired from various international sites for utility in next-generation sequencing. # Methods A total of 976 FFPE blocks were collected between 2002 and 2017 from six international sites in Africa and the Caribbean representing three consortia: Prostate Cancer Transatlantic Consortium; African-Caribbean Cancer Consortium; and Men of African Descent and Carcinoma of the Prostate. Genomic DNA was checked for quality and quantity. Differences in mean quality control (QC) for pre-and-post pathology training were assessed using t-test. Pearson chi-square with trend analysis examined association between time-category and QC success status. Association of continuous DNA quality (Q129/Q41 ratio) and time of specimen collection was estimated with linear regression. Samples with a DNA quantity \>0.2µg and a Q129/Q41 ratio \>0.00225 were submitted for whole exome sequencing (WES). # Results There was a positive relative percentage change in DNA quantity from 2002 to 2017 for Jamaica, Kenya and Senegal. There was a decline in DNA quantity over the same time period for Nigeria. There was a statistically significant improvement in quality of samples from Kenya (*P*=0.032), Nigeria (*P*\<.001) and Senegal (*P*=0.043). There was a significant improvement in the collected DNA sample quality over time with an R^2^ of 0.12. # Conclusions FFPE samples from low-resource settings could potentially provide sufficient DNA for WES. Improvements in biospecimen collection processing and storage for research are needed in some of these settings