Maiden breast cancer patient study in Africa begins
International drugs manufacturer and diagnostics company, Roche, has released a study design for the first-ever breast cancer patient journey study in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) at the African Organisation for Research and Training in Cancer (AORTIC) congress in Kigali, Rwanda.
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The study aims to describe the typical breast cancer patient journey, as well as assess resource use, cost and other hurdles influencing patient’s care in public and private hospitals in Kenya, Nigeria and Ghana.
The data will provide insight into the challenges of addressing the full spectrum of breast cancer patient care in SSA, and help identify what solutions are needed at multiple points in the patient journey.
Leading death cause
In spite of advances in management, breast cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death among women worldwide.
The burden of breast cancer disproportionately affects African countries with five-year survival rates as low as 12 per cent in parts of Africa, compared with almost 90 per cent in the United States, Australia and Canada.
In addition, as many as 80 per cent of patients in SSA are diagnosed with late-to-end stage disease when very little can be achieved in terms of curative treatment.
Limited resources also adversely impact access to care, resulting in sub-optimal management, high morbidity and mortality. This often places breast cancer patients and their families at risk of financial hardship.
Lack of financial burden data is a major obstacle to developing policies for cancer care in lower middle-income countries.
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The study will assess delays to patient care, including the delays to initiating standard of care testing (mammography, MRI, ER, HER2, chest x-ray), as well as delays to receiving the test results.
It will also assess delays to initiation of standard of care treatment (neoadjuvant chemotherapy, breast surgery, mastectomy, biologic treatment).
Notably, the study will also assess direct cost to patients, including how many pay for their cancer care out of pocket and how many are unable to complete treatment for cost reasons.
The study is a retrospective chart review conducted in three public and three private hospitals in each country, including Ghana, Kenya and Nigeria.
The study aims to obtain a comprehensive two-year sample of up to 1,000 anonymised patient records across all study sites.
A panel of local healthcare providers will also provide qualitative information on breast cancer management to corroborate findings from quantitative analyses, and provide further contextual insights.
Roche efforts in Africa
In sub-Saharan Africa, Roche aims to improve every step of a patient’s journey by removing barriers to access quality healthcare from diagnosis through treatment.
The company develops comprehensive and sustainable programmes that are tailored to the specific needs of each country.
“We believe that patients in sub-Saharan Africa deserve the same treatment as everyone else,” the Head of Roche in sub-Saharan Africa, Mr Markus Gemuend, said.
“When we work with partners with a genuine will to make a difference for patients is when real impact can happen,” he added.
About Roche
Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people’s lives.
It is the world’s largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system.
Roche is also the world leader in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a front-runner in diabetes management.