Novel use of fine needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy to diagnose cervical cancer in a low-resource setting: A case series Morovia, Liberia

Fine needle aspiration biopsy in low- and middle-income countries

Fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), can provide minimally invasive, cost-effective tissue diagnosis with rapid assessment and specimen triage, which is advantageous in these resource-limited settings. Nevertheless, challenges such as equipment shortages, reagents, and lack of trained personnel exist. This article discusses the effectiveness of FNAB for diagnosis of malignant and inflammatory conditions across various organs, such as lymph nodes, breast, soft tissue, and thyroid and advocates for increased training opportunities and collaboration with academic centers to enhance diagnostic accuracy and access to pathology services.

A Comprehensive Review of Cervical Cancer Screening Devices: The Pros and the Cons

OBJECTIVE

The low screening coverage and reluctance of women in participation lead to low uptake in cervical screening tests. Hence the majority of cervical cancer patients visiting the hospitals are diagnosed at advanced stage, often leading to poor survival rate. This paper aims to review and compile available cancer screening devices so that more people in this field will adopt suitable devices in cervical cancer screening routine depending on requirements which may encourage the uptake in cervical screening tests.

METHODS

This paper reviews devices invented for different cervical cancer screening methods, which are Pap smear test, visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) or Lugol's iodine (VILI), and HPV (human papillomavirus)-DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) self-test in terms of functionality, performance in solving the limitations of screening procedure and additionally where applicable, the cervical cell collection efficacy and abnormality detection accuracy. The devices are either available in the market, published in research articles or published in international patent databases.

RESULT

The reviewed devices either simplified the screening procedure to improve the clinical efficiency and accuracy in screening, reduced the pain and discomfort experienced by women during screening procedures, or achieved both outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Many devices have been invented to improve the screening procedures which may potentially improve the uptake in cervical screening tests and encourage the organization of screening campaigns to reduce cervical cancer incidence.

Palliative care education and training in Liberia: A qualitative exploration of current state and challenges to further development

Background

Palliative care is an integral approach to enhancing patients' overall quality of life by taking into account their entire lives and addressing any suffering they may be experiencing. Thus, palliative care education and training should be advanced. However, palliative care training and education in Liberia have just started, and their development warrants further investigation.

Objective

This research aimed to explore the state of palliative care education in Liberia and highlight its barriers and challenges.

Methods

A descriptive qualitative exploratory study design was adopted in this study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten male lecturers and four female nurses to gain in-depth insight into their perspectives on palliative care education. Thematic analysis with NVivo 12 plus was used for data analysis.

Results

Four themes emerged from the data: 1) the need for palliative education (lack of healthcare professionals, government support, regular workshops, integration, and interprofessional education on palliative care), 2) palliative care barriers (lack of curriculum implementation, lack of experience, lack of government actions, and poor infrastructures), 3) the level of student knowledge (senior and junior level, same educational level, and regular teaching materials), and 4) the roles of health care professionals (attention on palliative care, providing education on pain, and public awareness).

Conclusion

The study findings may serve as input to develop palliative care education and training in Liberia. The identified gaps must be filled, and critical barriers must be overcome if the area of palliative care needs to be advanced. However, the comprehensive knowledge gathered in this study can be used by nurses, lecturers, and multidisciplinary teams to achieve the effectiveness of palliative care for patients.