Data on histological characteristics, survival patterns and determinants of mortality among colorectal, esophageal and prostate cancer patients in Ethiopia

This article describes data collected retrospectively on a cohort of esophageal, colorectal and prostate cancer patients registered in the patient log book of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia, from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2017. The key variables studied include histological characteristics of each type of cancer, clinical and TNM stages, baseline laboratory results (Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) for colorectal cancer, Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) for prostate cancer, hemoglobin level, etc.), clinical characteristics including sign and symptoms, family history of cancer, diagnostic and treatment modalities a patient received for each type of cancer. The event status (death) was also collected using death certificates (whenever available) and supplemented by telephone interviews with the patient or attendant. Furthermore, lifestyle characteristics of patients including tobacco use, alcohol consumption, khat (‘Catha edulis’) chewing, etc. and socioeconomic characteristics including age, sex, region of residence, marital status, and educational level were also collected. The aim that led to conduct the study that generated these data was to describe clinical presentation, histological characteristics, survival pattern, and to identify determinants of mortality among cancer patients in Ethiopia. Thus, independent survival analyzes were performed using Kaplan-Meier estimates and life table analysis. Furthermore, Cox's proportional hazards regression was developed to investigate the survival pattern and determinants of cancer specific mortality among colorectal, esophageal and prostate cancer patients

Survival and prognostic determinants of prostate cancer patients in Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND:Globally, the incidence of prostate cancer is increasing, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. It is the most common cancer among men worldwide, with higher mortality in low and middle-income countries. In Ethiopia, it is the second most common cause of cancer morbidity and mortality among men. Despite a few studies done regarding the disease burden, the evidence is scarce about the survival and prognostic determinants of prostate cancer patients in Ethiopia. Thus, this study assessed the survival and prognostic determinants of patients with prostate cancer. METHODS:We retrospectively followed patients who were newly diagnosed from 2012 to 2016 at the Oncology Department of Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital. We extracted the data from patient charts that were available in the cancer registry using a checklist with the help of oncology nurses. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses with the log-rank test were used to estimate and compare the probability of survival among covariate categories. After checking for assumptions, a multivariable Cox regression analysis was performed to identify prognostic determinants of survival. RESULTS:The median survival time was 28 months with an overall 2-, 3- and 5-year survival of 57%, 38.9% and 22%, respectively. The overall survival differs according to the clinical stage (P-value<0.01), presence or absence of distant metastasis (P<0.01) and androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) (P<0.05). Cancer stage at diagnosis (adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) = 0.309, 95%CI = 0.151-0.633) and ADT (AHR = 3.884, 95%CI = 1.677-8.997) remained significant in the final Cox proportional hazards model. CONCLUSIONS:The overall 2-, 3- and 5-year survival of prostate cancer patients in Ethiopia is very low. The cancer stage at diagnosis and treatment modalities are significant prognostic determinants of survival. Therefore, early detection through screening and timely initiation of treatment are essential to improve the survival of prostate cancer patients

“Fatal Gastrointestinal and Peritoneal Ischemic Disease” of Unknown Cause at Arba Minch Hospital, Southern Ethiopia

Gastrointestinal and peritoneal ischemic disease due to unknown etiology present with intestinal obstruction and/or peritonitis otherwise in healthy patient emerged as fatal disease at Arba Minch General Hospital. This disorder was diagnosed based on intraoperative finding. Clinical presentation and natural history of disease progression were similar. It is estimated that about 6–10 lives are being claimed each year at Arba Minch Hospital with this disease of unidentified cause accounting for the largest figure of surgical department. Here we report case analysis and literature review illustrating clinical presentation, workup, preoperative diagnosis, intraoperative diagnosis, and final outcome of fatal gastrointestinal and peritoneal ischemic disease

Clinical presentation, treatment patterns, and outcomes of colorectal cancer patients at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: A prospective cohort study

Abstract Background Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cause of cancer death in both genders worldwide. Aims This study aimed to evaluate the outcomes and prognostic factors of CRC patients at Tikur Anbessa Specialized Hospital in Ethiopia. Methods and Results A prospective cohort study was conducted on 209 patients from January 2020 to September 2022. Kaplan–Meier curves and bivariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to analyze overall and progression‐free survival, with a significance value of P < .05. Results showed an overall mortality rate was 67.46% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 61.0–74.0), while the 1‐year overall survival (OS) rate was 63.16% (95% CI: 56.23–69.29), with a median follow‐up duration of 20 months. The median OS and progression‐free survival times were 17 and 11 months, respectively. Age above 40 years (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.53, 1.02–2.29, p < .040), lower educational level (high school and below) (HR = 2.20, 1.24–3.90, p < .007), poor performance status (HR = 1.60, 1.03–2.48, p < .035), Hgb ≤12.5 g/dL (HR = 1.55, 1.03–2.08, p < .035), T‐4 disease (HR = 6.05, 2.28–16.02, p < .000), and metastases at diagnosis (HR = 8.53, 3.77–19.25, p < .000) were all associated with poorer survival. Conclusion These findings suggest that poor survival of CRC patients in Ethiopia is largely due to advanced stage of the disease and lack of timely treatment, and highlight the urgent need for improved access to cancer treatment in the region

Oesophageal cancer magnitude and presentation in Ethiopia 2012-2017.

The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude, socio-demographic, and clinical characteristics of oesophageal cancer patients in selected referral hospitals of Ethiopia. A retrospective document review was employed in ten referral hospitals in different regions of Ethiopia. A structured data extraction tool was used to extract data from clinical care records of all clinically and pathologically confirmed oesophageal cancer patients who were diagnosed and treated in those hospitals from 2012 to 2017. During the study period, a total of 777 oesophageal cancer cases were identified, and the median age of these patients was 55 years, with an interquartile range of 19. More than half (55.1%, n = 428) of the cases were males, and the majority of them were reported from Oromia (49.9%, n = 388) and Somali (25.9%, n = 202) regional states. The highest numbers of oesophageal cancer cases were recorded in 2016 (23.8%, n = 185), while the lowest were in 2012 (12.6%, n = 98). Eighty per cent of oesophageal cancer cases were diagnosed in later stages of the disease. More than one-fourth (27.0%, n = 210) of patients had surgical procedures where the majority (74.3%, n = 156) required insertion of a feeding tube followed by transhiatal oesophagectomy (10.9%, n = 23). Of the 118 patients for which there was histology data, squamous cell carcinoma (56.7%, n = 67) and adenocarcinoma (36.4%, n = 43) were the predominant histologic type. One-fourth (25.0%, n = 194) of the patients were alive, and more than two-thirds (71.7%, n = 557) of the patients' current status was unknown at the time of the review. In these referral hospitals of Ethiopia, many oesophageal cancer patients presented during later stages of the disease and needed palliative care measures. The number of patients seen in Oromia and Somali hospitals by far exceeded hospitals of the other regions, thus postulating possibly unique risk factors in those geographic areas