From the breast to the upper jaw: A rare case of metastatic breast cancer

Breast cancer is the commonest malignancy in women globally. Metastasesof advanced breast carcinoma to bones, lungs and liver are well known but spread to maxillary bone presenting as maxillary sinus and palatal swelling is rare. We present a case of advanced breast carcinoma in a female Nigerian with clinical, radiological and histopathological features of lung and right maxillary bone metastases. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of metastatic breast cancer to the lungs and maxilla in Nigeria. The debilitating sequelae of advanced untreated breast carcinoma in a resource limited setting with suboptimal comprehensive cancer care are highlighted. Keywords: Breast cancer; orofacial metastasis; resource limited setting, Nigeri

Pattern of abdominal wall herniae in females: a retrospective analysis

Background: Gender differences are expected to influence the pattern and outcome of management of abdominal wall hernias. Some of these are left to speculations with few published articles on hernias in females.Objectives: To describe the clinical pattern of abdominal wall hernias in females.Method: A 5 year retrospective review.Result: There were 181 female patients with 184 hernias representing 27.9% of the total number of hernia patients operated. Mean age was 41.66±24.46 years with a bimodal peak in the 1st and 7th decades. Inguinal hernia accounted for majority (50.5%) but incisional hernia predominated in the 30-49 age group, while only inguinal and umbilical hernias were seen in the first two decades (p=0.04). There was no side predilection in the cases of inguinal hernia. There were 12 (6.6%) emergency presentations, most of which occurred in the 6th decade and above and none below 30 years (p=0.02). Umbilical (4 cases) and femoral hernias (3cases) accounted for most of these cases. Incisional hernia was the commonest cause of recurrent hernias.Conclusion: Inguinal hernia is the commonest hernia type in females followed by incisional hernias which also accounteds for most recurrent cases. Age appears to be a risk factor for developing complications.Keywords: Female, herni

Pattern of abdominal wall herniae in females: a retrospective analysis.

Background: Gender differences are expected to influence the pattern and outcome of management of abdominal wall hernias. Some of these are left to speculations with few published articles on hernias in females. Objectives: To describe the clinical pattern of abdominal wall hernias in females. Method: A 5 year retrospective review. Result: There were 181 female patients with 184 hernias representing 27.9% of the total number of hernia patients operated. Mean age was 41.66\ub124.46 years with a bimodal peak in the 1st and 7th decades. Inguinal hernia accounted for majority (50.5%) but incisional hernia predominated in the 30-49 age group, while only inguinal and umbilical hernias were seen in the first two decades (p=0.04). There was no side predilection in the cases of inguinal hernia. There were 12 (6.6%) emergency presentations, most of which occurred in the 6th decade and above and none below 30 years (p=0.02). Umbilical (4 cases) and femoral hernias (3 cases) accounted for most of these cases. Incisional hernia was the commonest cause of recurrent hernias. Conclusion: Inguinal hernia is the commonest hernia type in females followed by incisional hernias which also accounteds for most recurrent cases. Age appears to be a risk factor for developing complications

Translation and psychometric assessment of the mastectomy module of the BREAST-Q questionnaire for use in Nigeria

Background: The majority of non-metastatic breast cancer patients in sub-Saharan Africa are recommended to have mastectomy. The impact of mastectomy on a predominantly young African patient population requires evaluation. The BREAST-Q is a validated patient-reported outcome measure of quality-of-life following breast surgery that has been translated into 30 languages-none in Africa. This study aimed to translate and assess the psychometric properties of the mastectomy module of the BREAST-Q for use in Nigeria. Methods: The BREAST-Q mastectomy module was translated from English to Yoruba and its psychometric properties assessed using best practice guidelines. Translation was performed in 4 steps: forward translation (x2), back translation, back translation review, and cognitive interviews with post-mastectomy patients. The translated BREAST-Q instrument was administered to post-mastectomy patients (n = 21) alongside the EORTC-QLQ BR23 to evaluate construct validity. Test-retest reliability was evaluated using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC); surveys were re-administered 4 weeks apart. Results: The translation process identified English phrases not amenable to direct translation, including “emotionally healthy” and descriptions of pain (“nagging,” “throbbing,” “sharp”). Translations were amended to reflect local context and question intent. During cognitive interviews, patients provided suggestions to simplify complex phrases, e.g. “discomfort in your breast area.”. Internal consistency within scales was over 0.70 for psychosocial wellbeing (α = 0.84–0.87), sexual wellbeing (α = 0.98–0.99), physical wellbeing in chest (α = 0.84–0.86), and satisfaction with care (α = 0.89–0.93). ICC for test-retest reliability was moderate (0.46–0.63). Conclusions: The Yoruba version of the BREAST-Q mastectomy module presents a unique opportunity to adequately capture the experiences of Nigerian women post mastectomy. This instrument is being used in a pilot study of Nigerian patients to identify targets for intervention to improve the patient experience and compliance with breast cancer surgery

Community perception and determinants of willingness to uptake COVID-19 vaccines among residents of Osun State, South-West Nigeria

Background: Vaccine has been identified as the most cost-effective way of fighting COVID-19 pandemic. As most countries await the COVID-19 vaccine for mass administration amidst numerous misconceptions, it is imperative to assess willingness of the masses to take the vaccine. This study aimed to assess the determinants of willingness to uptake COVID-19 vaccines among residents of Osun State.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study design was employed. Seven hundred and forty-four respondents were enrolled from three selected local government areas using a multistage sampling method. Interviewer administered questionnaire, structured based on the health belief model and social cognitive theory, in electronic format (Kobo Collect) was used for data collection. Determinants of willingness to take COVID-19 vaccine were assessed using binary logistic regression.Results: About three-quarters (59.1%) of the respondents were willing to take the vaccine. There was a significant association between positive perception and willingness to take COVID-19 vaccine, p&lt;0.001. Being a healthcare worker, having good knowledge of the disease, and willingness-to-pay for the vaccine were significant determinants of willingness to uptake COVID-19 vaccine. Presence of misconception had a negative effect on the uptake of COVID-19 vaccine.Conclusions: To achieve high COVID-19 vaccine coverage, there is a need for health promotion interventions to correct misconceptions about COVID-19. Government and private donor interventions may be required to subsidize the vaccine to care for the populace who are willing to uptake but unable to pay for the vaccine.</jats:p

Mapping Geospatial Access to Comprehensive Cancer Care in Nigeria

PURPOSE To address the increasing burden of cancer in Nigeria, the National Cancer Control Plan outlines the development of 8 public comprehensive cancer centers. We map population-level geospatial access to these eight centers and explore equity of access and the impact of future development. METHODS Geospatial methods were used to estimate population-level travel times to the 8 cancer centers. A cost distance model was built using open source road infrastructure data with verified speed limits. Geolocated population estimates were amalgamated with this model to calculate travel times to cancer centers at a national and regional level for both the entire population and the population living on &lt; US$2 per day. RESULTS Overall, 68.9% of Nigerians have access to a comprehensive cancer center at 4 hours of continuous vehicular travel. However, there is significant variability in access between geopolitical zones ( P &lt; .001). The North East has the lowest access at 4 hours (31.4%) and the highest mean travel times (268 minutes); this is significantly lower than the proportion with 4-hour access in the South East (31.4% v 85.0%, respectively; P &lt; .001). The addition of a second comprehensive cancer center in the North East, in either Bauchi or Gombe, would significantly improve access to this underserved region. CONCLUSION The Federal Ministry of Health endorses investment in 8 public comprehensive cancer centers. Strengthening these centers will allow the majority of Nigerians to access the full complement of multidisciplinary care within a reasonable time frame. However, geospatial access remains inequitable, and the impact on outcomes is unclear. This must be considered as the cancer control system matures and expands. </jats:sec

Feasibility and performance of the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) for average-risk colorectal cancer screening in Nigeria.

IntroductionThere is a paucity of prospective data on the performance of the fecal immunochemical test (FIT) for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in sub-Saharan Africa. The aim of this exploratory analysis was to evaluate the feasibility and performance of FIT in Nigeria.MethodsThis was a prospective, single-arm study. A convenience sample of asymptomatic, average-risk individuals between 40-75 years of age were enrolled at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital. Study participants returned in 48 hours with a specimen for ova and parasite (O&P) and qualitative FIT (50ug/g) testing. Participants with a positive FIT had follow-up colonoscopy and those with intestinal parasites were provided treatment.ResultsBetween May-June 2019, 379 individuals enrolled with a median age of 51 years (IQR 46-58). In total, 87.6% (n = 332) returned for FIT testing. FIT positivity was 20.5% (95% CI = 16.3%-25.2%). Sixty-one (89.7%) of participants with a positive FIT had a follow-up colonoscopy (n = 61), of whom 9.8% (95%CI:3.7-20.2%) had an adenoma and 4.9% (95%CI:1.0-13.7%) had advanced adenomas. Presence of intestinal parasites was inversely related to FIT positivity (6.5% with vs. 21.1% without parasites, p = 0.05). Eighty-two percent of participants found the FIT easy to use and 100% would recommend the test to eligible family or friends if available.ConclusionsAsymptomatic, FIT-based CRC screening was feasible and well tolerated in this exploratory analysis. However, the high FIT positivity and low positive predictive value for advanced neoplasia raises concerns about its practicality and cost effectiveness in a low-resource setting such as Nigeria