Yevudza W Elorm, Buckman Vincent, Darko Kwadwo, Banson Mabel, Totimeh Teddy
Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA.
University of Chicago Medical School Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Neurooncol Adv. 2024 Jul 11;6(1):vdae057. doi: 10.1093/noajnl/vdae057. eCollection 2024 Jan-Dec.
Ensuring equitable access to treatments and therapies in the constantly evolving field of neuro-oncology is an imperative global health issue. With its unique demographic, cultural, socioeconomic, and infrastructure characteristics, Sub-Saharan Africa faces distinct challenges. This literature review highlights specific barriers to neuro-oncology care in the region and explores potential opportunities for enhancing access.
Predetermined keyword searches were employed to screen titles and abstracts using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses framework. Inclusion criteria were studies published between January 1, 2003, and June 20, 2023, specifically addressing the capacity and challenges of neuro-oncology in the Sub-Saharan African region. The data sources queried were PubMed and Google Scholar. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses were deliberately excluded. All authors conducted independent screening and structured data extraction meticulously.
Our paper identified multiple challenges that impede access to quality treatment for brain tumors. These include constrained resources, insufficient training of healthcare professionals, certain cultural beliefs, and a general lack of awareness about brain tumors, all contributing to delayed diagnosis and treatment. Furthermore, the lack of detailed data on the incidence and prevalence of primary central nervous system tumors impairs the accurate assessment of disease burden and precise identification of areas requiring improvement. However, we discovered that ongoing research, advocacy, enhanced training, mentorship, and collaborative efforts present valuable opportunities for substantial progress in neuro-oncology access.
While we provide a glimpse of the current state, we hope these results will help stimulate dialogue and catalyze initiatives to surmount highlighted obstacles and improve neuro-oncology outcomes across Sub-Saharan Africa.
在不断发展的神经肿瘤学领域，确保公平获得治疗方法是一项紧迫的全球健康问题。撒哈拉以南非洲因其独特的人口、文化、社会经济和基础设施特征，面临着独特的挑战。本综述强调了该地区神经肿瘤学护理的具体障碍，并探讨了增加可及性的潜在机会。
采用预先确定的关键词搜索，使用系统评价和荟萃分析的首选报告项目框架筛选标题和摘要。纳入标准为2003年1月1日至2023年6月20日期间发表的专门论述撒哈拉以南非洲地区神经肿瘤学能力和挑战的研究。查询的数据来源为PubMed和谷歌学术。系统评价和荟萃分析被特意排除。所有作者都独立进行了细致的筛选和结构化数据提取。
我们的论文确定了阻碍获得脑肿瘤优质治疗的多重挑战。这些包括资源受限、医疗保健专业人员培训不足、某些文化信仰以及对脑肿瘤普遍缺乏认识，所有这些都导致诊断和治疗延迟。此外，缺乏关于原发性中枢神经系统肿瘤发病率和患病率的详细数据，损害了对疾病负担的准确评估以及对需要改进领域的精确识别。然而，我们发现正在进行的研究、宣传、强化培训、指导和合作努力为神经肿瘤学可及性取得重大进展提供了宝贵机会。
虽然我们展示了当前的状况，但我们希望这些结果将有助于激发对话，并推动采取举措克服突出的障碍，改善撒哈拉以南非洲地区的神经肿瘤学治疗效果。
