Outcome of screening by clinical examination of the breast in a trial in the Philippines

Awareness regarding breast cancer amongst women in Pakistan: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer (BCa) is the most common cause of cancer death in Pakistan. In 2019, Pakistan saw the highest global BCa-associated death rate. But do Pakistani women know about the various aspects of BCa? And how prevalent are BCa screening methods amongst Pakistani females? These questions formed the basis for our study.

METHODS

We conducted this review in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. On September 1, 2023, we searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and Google Scholar, and performed a citation search to search for eligible studies published in 2010 or after, using the following terms: "breast cancer" and "Pakistan". Observational studies that evaluated BCa awareness and/or practice amongst Pakistani females who were not associated with medicine were eligible. We used the National Institutes of Health quality assessment tool to assess the risk of bias. We conducted a proportion meta-analysis to calculate pooled prevalences for variables.

RESULTS

Responses from 9766 Pakistani women across 18 included studies showed alarmingly low levels of BCa knowledge: risk factors, 42.7% (95% CI: 34.1%-51.4%); symptoms, 41.8% (95% CI: 26.2%-57.5%); diagnostic modalities, 36.3% (95% CI: 23.1%-49.4%); treatments, 46.6% (95% CI: 13.5%-79.8%). Prevalence of breast self-examination (BSE) and ever having undergone a clinical breast exam (CBE) was 28.7% (95% CI: 17.9%-39.6%) and 15.3% (95 CI: 11.2%-19.4%), respectively. BCa knowledge was significantly associated with better educational status, age, and socioeconomic status.

CONCLUSION

On average, only two in five Pakistani women are aware of one or more risk factors, symptoms, or diagnostic modalities. Approximately one in two women know about possible BCa treatment. Less than one in three women practice regular BSE, and less than one in five women have ever undergone a CBE.

Temporal patterns of cancer burden in Asia, 1990-2019: a systematic examination for the Global Burden of Disease 2019 study

Background

Cancers represent a challenging public health threat in Asia. This study examines the temporal patterns of incidence, mortality, disability and risk factors of 29 cancers in Asia in the last three decades.

Methods

The age, sex and year-wise estimates of incidence, mortality, and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) of 29 cancers for 49 Asian countries from 1990 through 2019 were generated as a part of the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries and Risk Factors 2019 study. Besides incidence, mortality and DALYs, we also examined the cancer burden measured in terms of DALYs and deaths attributable to risk factors, which had evidence of causation with different cancers. The development status of countries was measured using the socio-demographic index. Decomposition analysis was performed to gauge the change in cancer incidence between 1990 and 2019 due to population growth, aging and age-specific incidence rates.

Findings

All cancers combined claimed an estimated 5.6 million [95% uncertainty interval, 5.1-6.0 million] lives in Asia with 9.4 million [8.6-10.2 million] incident cases and 144.7 million [132.7-156.5 million] DALYs in 2019. The age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) of all cancers combined in Asia was 197.6/100,000 [181.0-214.4] in 2019, varying from 99.2/100,000 [76.1-126.0] in Bangladesh to 330.5/100,000 [298.5-365.8] in Cyprus. The age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) was 120.6/100,000 [110.1-130.7] in 2019, varying 4-folds across countries from 71.0/100,000 [59.9-83.5] in Kuwait to 284.2/100,000 [229.2-352.3] in Mongolia. The age-standardized DALYs rate was 2970.5/100,000 [2722.6-3206.5] in 2019, varying from 1578.0/100,000 [1341.2-1847.0] in Kuwait to 6574.4/100,000 [5141.7-8333.0] in Mongolia. Between 1990 and 2019, deaths due to 17 of the 29 cancers either doubled or more, and 20 of the 29 cancers underwent an increase of 150% or more in terms of new cases. Tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer (both sexes), breast cancer (among females), colon and rectum cancer (both sexes), stomach cancer (both sexes) and prostate cancer (among males) were among top-5 cancers in most Asian countries in terms of ASIR and ASMR in 2019 and cancers of liver, stomach, hodgkin lymphoma and esophageal cancer posted the most significant decreases in age-standardized rates between 1990 and 2019. Among the modifiable risk factors, smoking, alcohol use, ambient particulate matter (PM) pollution and unsafe sex remained the dominant risk factors between 1990 and 2019. Cancer DALYs due to ambient PM pollution, high body mass index and fasting plasma glucose has increased most notably between 1990 and 2019.

Interpretation

With growing incidence, cancer has become more significant public health threat in Asia, demanding urgent policy attention and guidance. Its heightened risk calls for increased cancer awareness, preventive measures, affordable early-stage detection, and cost-effective therapeutics in Asia. The current study can serve as a useful resource for policymakers and researchers in Asia for devising interventions for cancer management and control.

Funding

The GBD study is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Task shifting to nonphysician health workers for improving access to care and treatment for cancer in low- and middle-income countries- a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Cancer is a complex global health issue overburdening health systems especially in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). This burden is becoming more severe and complex as the global shortage of cancer care workforce persists. Since task shifting offers an alternative to address workforce shortages, a systematic review with the following research question was carried out: What is the scope of roles and tasks shifted to nonphysician health workers in improving access to cancer control services? The aim of this review is to critically identify, appraise and present evidence on how task shifting could be integrated and scaled to expand access to quality cancer control services in LMICs.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this review is to critically identify, appraise and present evidence on how task shifting could be integrated and scaled to expand access to quality cancer control services in LMICs.

METHODS

Four databases were searched - CINAHL, EMBASE, MEDLINE and SCOPUS from inception to October 15, 2022, and included all studies that reported task shifting of cancer control services to nonphysician health workers. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) 2020 guidelines was followed to report the review process. Risk of bias was assessed using the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute quality assessment scale. The studies were summarized using narrative synthesis. A meta-analysis could not be carried out because the review only assessed the scope of roles that were shifted to nonphysician health workers and because of the heterogeneity in the characteristics of the studies included in the review.

RESULTS

The search identified 170 articles out of which 16 were included in the review. Three studies were randomized controlled trials, four were cluster randomized trials, while 9 were cross-sectional. Tasks were shifted to primary healthcare workers, nurses, and community health workers. Tasks shifted included screening, patient education, and diagnostic procedures. Evidence from the studies showed that the quality and effectiveness of tasks performed were comparable, and in some cases, better than usual care.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings showed that tasks in certain areas of cancer control services such as screening, education, and diagnosis can be shifted to nonphysician health workers and that it could be effective in improving access to certain cancer control services. Therefore, this review has shown that task shifting could be an effective strategy in addressing current workforce shortages in cancer care and that there is a need to examine the care required along the cancer continuum to better understand which interventions can most effectively be shifted to more advanced health professionals such as pharmacists to improve access to cancer control services in LMICs.

[Pelvic exam in gynecology and obstetrics: Guidelines for clinical practice]

OBJECTIVE

To provide guidelines for the pelvic clinical exam in gynecology and obstetrics.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A multidisciplinary experts consensus committee of 45 experts was formed, including representatives of patients' associations and users of the health system. The entire guidelines process was conducted independently of any funding. The authors were advised to follow the rules of the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE®) system to guide assessment of quality of evidence. The potential drawbacks of making strong recommendations in the presence of low-quality evidence were emphasized.

METHODS

The committee studied 40 questions within 4 fields for symptomatic or asymptomatic women (emergency conditions, gynecological consultation, gynecological diseases, obstetrics, and pregnancy). Each question was formulated in a PICO (Patients, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome) format and the evidence profiles were produced. The literature review and recommendations were made according to the GRADE® methodology.

RESULTS

The experts' synthesis work and the application of the GRADE method resulted in 27 recommendations. Among the formalized recommendations, 17 present a strong agreement, 7 a weak agreement and 3 an expert consensus agreement. Thirteen questions resulted in an absence of recommendation due to lack of evidence in the literature.

CONCLUSIONS

The need to perform clinical examination in gynecological and obstetrics patients was specified in 27 pre-defined situations based on scientific evidence. More research is required to investigate the benefit in other cases.

Training health workers in clinical breast examination for early detection of breast cancer in low- and middle-income countries

BACKGROUND

Most women living in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) present with advanced-stage breast cancer. Limitations of poor serviceable health systems, restricted access to treatment facilities, and lack of breast cancer screening programmes all likely contribute to the late presentation of women with breast cancer living in these countries. Women are diagnosed with advanced disease and frequently do not complete their care due to a number of factors, including financial reasons as health expenditure is largely out of pocket resulting in financial toxicity; health system failures, such as missing services or health worker lack of awareness on common signs and symptoms of cancer; and sociocultural barriers, such as stigma and use of alternative therapies. Clinical breast examination (CBE) is an inexpensive early detection technique for breast cancer in women with palpable breast masses. Training health workers from LMICs to conduct CBE has the potential to improve the quality of the technique and the ability of health workers to detect breast cancers early.

OBJECTIVES

To assess whether training in CBE affects the ability of health workers in LMICs to detect early breast cancer.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Breast Cancer Specialised Registry, CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, the World Health Organization (WHO) International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) search portal, and ClinicalTrials.gov up to 17 July 2021.

SELECTION CRITERIA

We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) (including individual and cluster-RCTs), quasi-experimental studies and controlled before-and-after studies if they fulfilled the eligibility criteria.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors independently screened studies for inclusion, and extracted data, assessed risk of bias, and assessed the certainty of the evidence using the GRADE approach. We performed statistical analysis using Review Manager software and presented the main findings of the review in a summary of findings table.

MAIN RESULTS

We included four RCTs that screened a total population of 947,190 women for breast cancer, out of which 593 breast cancers were diagnosed. All included studies were cluster-RCTs; two were conducted in India, one in the Philippines, and one in Rwanda. Health workers trained to perform CBE in the included studies were primary health workers, nurses, midwives, and community health workers. Three of the four included studies reported on the primary outcome (breast cancer stage at the time of presentation). Amongst secondary outcomes, included studies reported CBE coverage, follow-up, accuracy of health worker-performed CBE, and breast cancer mortality. None of the included studies reported knowledge attitude practice (KAP) outcomes and cost-effectiveness. Three studies reported diagnosis of breast cancer at early stage (at stage 0+I+II), suggesting that training health workers in CBE may increase the number of women detected with breast cancer at an early stage compared to the non-training group (45% detected versus 31% detected; risk ratio (RR) 1.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01 to 2.06; three studies; 593 participants; I2 = 0%; low-certainty evidence). Three studies reported diagnosis at late stage (III+IV) suggesting that training health workers in CBE may slightly reduce the number of women detected with breast cancer at late stage compared to the non-training group (13% detected versus 42%, RR 0.58, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.94; three studies; 593 participants; I2 = 52%; low-certainty evidence). Regarding secondary outcomes, two studies reported breast cancer mortality, implying that the evidence is uncertain for the impact on breast cancer mortality (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.24 to 3.26; two studies; 355 participants; I2 = 68%; very low-certainty evidence). Due to the study heterogeneity, we could not conduct meta-analysis for accuracy of health worker-performed CBE, CBE coverage, and completion of follow-up, and therefore reported narratively using the 'Synthesis without meta-analysis' (SWiM) guideline. Sensitivity of health worker-performed CBE was reported to be 53.2% and 51.7%; while specificity was reported to be 100% and 94.3% respectively in two included studies (very low-certainty evidence). One trial reported CBE coverage with a mean adherence of 67.07% for the first four screening rounds (low-certainty evidence). One trial reported follow-up suggesting that compliance rates for diagnostic confirmation following a positive CBE were 68.29%, 71.20%, 78.84% and 79.98% during the respective first four rounds of screening in the intervention group compared to 90.88%, 82.96%, 79.56% and 80.39% during the respective four rounds of screening in the control group.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Our review findings suggest some benefit of training health workers from LMICs in CBE on early detection of breast cancer. However, the evidence regarding mortality, accuracy of health worker-performed CBE, and completion of follow up is uncertain and requires further evaluation.

Global Breast Cancer Initiative: A platform to address the psycho-oncology of cancer in low- and middle-income countries for improving global breast cancer outcomes

BACKGROUND

Psycho-oncology is a clinical specialty in which the humanistic aspects of cancer diagnoses and treatment are addressed to reduce the psychological burden for patients and their caregivers to optimize patient participation, cancer outcomes and quality-of-life, which is especially critical in cultures where cancer is perceived as invariably fatal. Psycho-oncology programs face multiple barriers in low- and middle-income countries, including limited resource allocation and lack of training, both of which have been impediments to psycho-oncology programs becoming recognized as core competencies in cancer management and part of a standard medical curriculum.

PURPOSE

This paper discusses the role of the Global Breast Cancer Initiative (GBCI) in helping to overcome inequities in breast cancer care and improve clinical outcomes from a psycho-oncology perspective as a model for improved cancer care in limited resource settings.

FINDINGS

GBCI applies a comprehensive framework encompassing all phases of cancer care (defined through three pillars spanning the continuum of cancer management) and includes addressing the physical, psychological, and social needs of women throughout the life-course. Efforts to promote policies that increase access to early detection and treatment programs and improve health literacy among the public are important strategies to mitigate the most common emotional and physical challenges reported by people with cancer accessing care.

CONCLUSIONS

Future efforts will focus on the integration of culturally appropriate guidance to promote early cancer detection and treatment completion through training programs for clinicians to establish core competencies in psycho-oncology. Emerging advocacy efforts in the oncology arena may help guide the integration of psycho-oncology services into routine care in countries where these services are not already integrated into the standard curriculum.

Access to Surgical Treatment for Breast Cancer in the Philippines

Female breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer worldwide; however, while high-income countries have the highest incidence rates, lower-middle income countries have the highest mortality rates. In this article, we describe the landscape of disparities in access to surgical care for patients with breast cancer in the Philippines, a lower-middle income country in Southeast Asia. We describe the payment landscape that allows access to care for patients with non-metastatic disease, and draw attention to the fact that despite some degree of insurance for most Filipinos, great barriers to access remain in the form of a low number of surgical providers, geographic disparities, and persistent socioeconomic barriers. Lastly, we suggest steps forward to improve equity in access to surgical care for Filipino patients with breast cancer.

Breast cancer screening practices among Vietnamese women and factors associated with clinical breast examination uptake

Background

This study examined current breast cancer (BC) screening practices among Vietnamese women and the factors associated with the uptake of clinical breast examination (CBE).

Methods

A total of 508 women aged 30–74 years in Hanoi completed a knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP) survey in 2019 including validated measures of breast cancer awareness (Breast-CAM) and health beliefs (Champion’s Health Belief Model Scale). Descriptive statistics, χ2, and ANOVA tests were used to analyse KAP responses across groups with different sociodemographic characteristics. A logistic regression model assessed the associations of knowledge, beliefs, and sociodemographic characteristics with CBE uptake.

Results

Only 18% of respondents were aware of BC signs, risk factors, and screening modalities although 63% had previously received BC screening. CBE was the most common screening modality with an uptake of 51%. A significantly higher proportion of urban residents compared with rural residents (32% vs 18%, Chi-square test, p = 0.04) received mammography. Unlike mammography, CBE uptake was not associated with sociodemographic characteristics (i.e., residence area/education level/occupation/household monthly income/possession of health insurance). CBE uptake was associated with BC knowledge (OR = 2.44, 95%CI: 1.37–4.32), perceived susceptibility to BC (OR = 1.15, 95%CI: 1.05–1.25), and perceived barriers to accessing CBE (OR = 0.88, 95%CI: 0.84–0.92).

Conclusion

The study points to the need for public health education and promotion interventions to address low levels of awareness about BC and to increase uptake of BC screening in Vietnam in advance of screening programme planning and implementation. It also suggests that screening programmes using CBE are promising given current engagement and the absence of socio-demographic disparities.

Breast cancer screening in low and middle-income countries

Breast cancer incidence rates are rising in low and middle-income countries (LMIC), and these populations have reduced access to advanced multidisciplinary treatment. Screening and early detection are therefore critical in these regions but must be affordable and sustainable. Mammography screening programs are well established in more affluent countries, but alternative strategies to reduce the breast cancer burden of LMIC (such as clinical breast examination, general breast health awareness, and addressing modifiable lifestyle factors including obesity) are likely to be more realistic at the present time.

Breast Cancer Priorities in Limited-Resource Environments: The Price-Efficacy Dilemma in Cancer Care

Breast cancer has become one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in low- and middle-income countries, where 62% of the world's total new cases are diagnosed. Therefore, the productivity loss because of premature death resulting from female breast cancer is also on the rise. The major challenge in low- and middle-income countries is to reduce the proportion of women presenting with advanced-stage disease, a challenge unlikely to be overcome by adoption of expensive national mammography screening programs. Awareness and education campaigns should focus not only on patients and societies but also on policy makers to address and optimize breast cancer care. Adaptation of existing guidelines and prioritization according to local resources are essential to address the unique needs and overcome the unique barriers of each society to facilitate practical implementation and improve outcomes. Emphasis on the principle of a cancer groundshot in addressing value in cancer care is vital to improving access to therapies that are proven to work rather than chasing after new drugs or innovations of doubtful or marginal clinical benefit. Until we have drug-pricing interventions that take into account the local income of each society, we must acknowledge the fact that the delivery of cancer care will never be the same all around the world.

Breast cancer burden in Africa: evidence from GLOBOCAN 2018

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer is the leading malignancy in African females. This study aims to examine the breast cancer burden in Africa using recently released GLOBOCAN 2018 estimates.

METHODS

The incidence and mortality estimates of age- and country-wise burden of breast cancer in 54 African countries were obtained from GLOBOCAN 2018.

RESULTS

In Africa, breast cancer caused 74 072 deaths, and 168 690 cases were estimated to have occurred in 2018. The age-standardized incidence rate stood at 37.9/100 000 in Africa, varying from 6.9/100 000 in the Gambia to 69.6/100 000 in Mauritius. The age-standardized mortality rate stood at 17.2/100 000 in 2018, ranging from 4/100 000 in the Gambia to 29.1/100 000 in Somalia in 2018. Nigeria was the leading country in terms of absolute burden with 26 310 cases and 11 564 deaths, followed by Egypt with 23 081 new cases and 9254 deaths. The mortality-to-incidence ratio for Africa stood at 0.44, varying from 0.24 in Libya to 0.68 in the Central African Republic.

CONCLUSION

To tackle breast cancer burden in Africa, the main challenges are late-stage disease presentation, lack of screening and therapeutic infrastructure, lack of awareness and limited resources.

Contribution of clinical breast exam to cancer detection in women participating in a modern screening program

Purpose

Despite the controversy surrounding the role of clinical breast exam (CBE) in modern breast cancer screening, it is widely practiced. We examined the contribution of CBE in women undergoing routine screening mammography and in women under the screening age.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study including all women participating in a voluntary health screening program between 2007 and 2016. All participants undergo CBE; Screening mammography is done selectively based on age, breast imaging history and insurance coverage. Data collected included demographics, risk factors, previous imaging, and findings on CBE and mammography. Cancer detection rates within 3 months of the visit were calculated separately for women undergoing routine screening mammography, and women under the screening age.

Results

There were 14,857 CBE completed in 8378; women; 7% were abnormal. Within 3 months of the visit, 35 breast cancers (2.4 per 1000 visits) were diagnosed. In women within the screening age who completed a mammogram less than one year prior to the visit (N = 1898), 4 cancers (2.1 cancers per 1000 visits) were diagnosed. Only one was diagnosed in a woman with an abnormal CBE, suggesting that the cancer detection rate of CBE in women undergoing regular screening is very low (0.5 per 1000 visits). In women under the screening age (45), 3 cancers (0.4 per 1000 visits) were diagnosed; all were visualized on mammography, one had an abnormal CBE.

Conclusions

The contribution of CBE to cancer detection in women undergoing routine screening and in women under the screening age is rare.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12905-021-01507-x.

Breast Cancer Early Detection in Eswatini: Evaluation of a Training Curriculum and Patient Receipt of Recommended Follow-Up Care

[Figure: see text].

Clinical Utility of a Hand-Held Scanner for Breast Cancer Early Detection and Patient Triage

PURPOSE

Globally, breast cancer represents the most common cause of cancer death among women. Early cancer diagnosis is difficult in low- and middle-income countries, most of which are unable to support population-based mammographic screening. Triage on the basis of clinical breast examination (CBE) alone can be difficult to implement. In contrast, piezo-electric palpation (intelligent Breast Exam [iBE]) may improve triage because it is portable, low cost, has a short learning curve, and provides electronic documentation for additional diagnostic workup. We compared iBE and CBE performance in a screening patient cohort from a Western mammography center.

METHODS

Women presenting for screening or diagnostic workup were enrolled and underwent iBE then CBE, followed by mammography. Mammography was classified as negative (BI-RADS 1 or 2) or positive (BI-RADS 3, 4, or 5). Measures of accuracy and κ score were calculated.

RESULTS

Between April 2015 and May 2017, 516 women were enrolled. Of these patients, 486 completed iBE, CBE, and mammography. There were 101 positive iBE results, 66 positive CBE results, and 35 positive mammograms. iBE and CBE demonstrated moderate agreement on categorization (κ = 0.53), but minimal agreement with mammography (κ = 0.08). iBE had a specificity of 80.3% and a negative predictive value of 94%. In this cohort, only five of 486 patients had a malignancy; iBE and CBE identified three of these five. The two cancers missed by both modalities were small—a 3-mm retro-areolar and a 1-cm axillary tail.

CONCLUSION

iBE performs comparably to CBE as a triage tool. Only minimal cancers detected through mammographic screening were missed on iBE. Ultimately, our data suggest that iBE and CBE can synergize as triage tools to significantly reduce the numbers of patients who need additional diagnostic imaging in resource-limited areas.

The role of dissemination and implementation science in global breast cancer control programs: Frameworks, methods, and examples

Global disparities in breast cancer outcomes are attributable to a sizable gap between evidence and practice in breast cancer control and management. Dissemination and implementation science (D&IS) seeks to understand how to promote the systematic uptake of evidence-based interventions and/or practices into real-world contexts. D&IS methods are useful for selecting strategies to implement evidence-based interventions, adapting their implementation to new settings, and evaluating the implementation process as well as its outcomes to determine success and failure, and adjust accordingly. Process models, explanatory theories, and evaluation frameworks are used in D&IS to develop implementation strategies, identify implementation outcomes, and design studies to evaluate these outcomes. In breast cancer control and management, research has been translated into evidence-based, resource-stratified guidelines by the Breast Health Global Initiative and others. D&IS should be leveraged to optimize the implementation of these guidelines, and other evidence-based interventions, into practice across the breast cancer care continuum, from optimizing public education to promoting early detection, increasing guideline-concordant clinical practice among providers, and analyzing and addressing barriers and facilitators in health care systems. Stakeholder engagement through processes such as co-creation is critical. In this article, the authors have provided a primer on the contribution of D&IS to phased implementation of global breast cancer control programs, provided 2 case examples of ongoing D&IS research projects in Tanzania, and concluded with recommendations for best practices for researchers undertaking this work.

Examination of incidence, mortality and disability-adjusted life years and risk factors of breast cancer in 49 Asian countries, 1990-2019: estimates from Global Burden of Disease Study 2019

BACKGROUND

This study presents an up-to-date, comprehensive and comparative examination of breast cancer's temporal patterns in females in Asia in last three decades.

METHODS

The estimates of incidence, mortality, disability-adjusted-life-years and risk factors of breast cancer in females in 49 Asian countries were retrieved from Global Burden of Disease 2019 study.

RESULTS

In Asia, female breast cancer incidence grew from 245 045[226 259-265 260] in 1990 to 914 878[815 789-1025 502] in 2019 with age-standardized incidence rate rising from 21.2/100 000[19.6-22.9] to 35.9/100 000[32.0-40.2] between 1990 and 2019. The death counts more than doubled from 136 665[126 094-148 380] to 337 822[301 454-375 251]. The age-standardized mortality rate rose marginally between 1990 and 2019 (1990: 12.1[11.0-13.1]; 2019: 13.4[12.0-14.9]). In 2019, age-standardized incidence rate varied from 17.2/100 000[13.95-21.4] in Mongolia to 122.5[92.1-160.7] in Lebanon and the age-standardized mortality rate varied 4-fold from 8.0/100 000 [7.2-8.8] in South Korea to 51.9[39.0-69.8] in Pakistan. High body mass index (5.6%), high fasting plasma glucose (5.6%) and secondhand smoke (3.5%) were the main contributory risk factors to all-age disability-adjusted-life-years due to breast cancer in Asia.

CONCLUSION

With growing incidence, escalating dietary and behavioural risk factors and lower survival rates due to late-disease presentation in low- and medium-income countries of Asia, breast cancer has become a significant public health threat. Its rising burden calls for increasing breast cancer awareness, preventive measures, early-stage detection and cost-effective therapeutics in Asia.

Effect of screening by clinical breast examination on breast cancer incidence and mortality after 20 years: prospective, cluster randomised controlled trial in Mumbai

OBJECTIVE

To test the efficacy of screening by clinical breast examination in downstaging breast cancer at diagnosis and in reducing mortality from the disease, when compared with no screening.

DESIGN

Prospective, cluster randomised controlled trial.

SETTING

20 geographically distinct clusters located in Mumbai, India, randomly allocated to 10 screening and 10 control clusters; total trial duration was 20 years (recruitment began in May 1998; database locked in March 2019 for analysis).

PARTICIPANTS

151 538 women aged 35-64 with no history of breast cancer.

INTERVENTIONS

Women in the screening arm (n=75 360) received four screening rounds of clinical breast examination (conducted by trained female primary health workers) and cancer awareness every two years, followed by five rounds of active surveillance every two years. Women in the control arm (n=76 178) received one round of cancer awareness followed by eight rounds of active surveillance every two years.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Downstaging of breast cancer at diagnosis and reduction in mortality from breast cancer.

RESULTS

Breast cancer was detected at an earlier age in the screening group than in the control group (age 55.18 (standard deviation 9.10) v 56.50 (9.10); P=0.01), with a significant reduction in the proportion of women with stage III or IV disease (37% (n=220) v 47% (n=271), P=0.001). A non-significant 15% reduction in breast cancer mortality was observed in the screening arm versus control arm in the overall study population (age 35-64; 20.82 deaths per 100 000 person years (95% confidence interval 18.25 to 23.97) v 24.62 (21.71 to 28.04); rate ratio 0.85 (95% confidence interval 0.71 to 1.01); P=0.07). However, a post hoc subset analysis showed nearly 30% relative reduction in breast cancer mortality in women aged 50 and older (24.62 (20.62 to 29.76) v 34.68 (27.54 to 44.37); 0.71 (0.54 to 0.94); P=0.02), but no significant reduction in women younger than 50 (19.53 (17.24 to 22.29) v 21.03 (18.97 to 23.44); 0.93 (0.79 to 1.09); P=0.37). A 5% reduction in all cause mortality was seen in the screening arm versus the control arm, but it was not statistically significant (rate ratio 0.95 (95% confidence interval 0.81 to 1.10); P=0.49).

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that clinical breast examination conducted every two years by primary health workers significantly downstaged breast cancer at diagnosis and led to a non-significant 15% reduction in breast cancer mortality overall (but a significant reduction of nearly 30%in mortality in women aged ≥50). No significant reduction in mortality was seen in women younger than 50 years. Clinical breast examination should be considered for breast cancer screening in low and middle income countries.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Clinical Trials Registry of India CTRI/2010/091/001205; ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00632047.

Impact of Community-Based Clinical Breast Examinations in Botswana

PURPOSE

We evaluated a clinical breast examination (CBE) screening program to determine the prevalence of breast abnormalities, number examined per cancer diagnosis, and clinical resources required for these diagnoses in a middle-income African setting.

METHODS

We performed a retrospective review of a CBE screening program (2015-2018) by Journey of Hope Botswana, a Botswana-based nongovernmental organization (NGO). Symptomatic and asymptomatic women were invited to attend. Screening events were held in communities throughout rural and periurban Botswana, with CBEs performed by volunteer nurses. Individuals who screened positive were referred to a private tertiary facility and were followed by the NGO. Data were obtained from NGO records.

RESULTS

Of 6,120 screened women (50 men excluded), 452 (7.4%) presented with a symptom and 357 (5.83%) were referred for further evaluation; 257 ultrasounds, 100 fine-needle aspirations (FNAs), 58 mammograms, and 31 biopsies were performed. In total, 6,031 were exonerated from cancer, 78 were lost to follow-up (67 for ≤ 50 years and 11 for > 50 years), and 11 were diagnosed with cancer (five for 41-50 years and six for > 50 years, 10 presented with symptoms). Overall breast cancer prevalence was calculated to be 18/10,000 (95% CI, 8 to 29/10,000). The number of women examined per breast cancer diagnosis was 237 (95% CI, 126 to 1910) for women of age 41-50 years and 196 (95% CI, 109 to 977) for women of age > 50 years. Median time to diagnosis for all women was 17.5 [1 to 32.5] days. CBE-detected tumors were not different than tumors presenting through standard care.

CONCLUSION

In a previously unscreened population, yield from community-based CBE screening was high, particularly among symptomatic women, and required modest diagnostic resources. This strategy has potential to reduce breast cancer mortality.

Breast Reconstruction Practices and Barriers in West Africa: A Survey of Surgeons

Supplemental Digital Content is available in the text.

Background:

Access to breast reconstruction is limited in low-income countries. Identifying current barriers that plague both providers and patients can inform future interventions focused on improving access to care. The goal of this study was to delineate perceptions of breast reconstruction among providers in West Africa and define current barriers to care.

Methods:

Surveys were administered to surgeons attending the annual meeting of the West African College of Surgeons in 2018. Surgeons were surveyed regarding their practices and perceptions of breast reconstruction. Information on barriers to breast reconstruction focused on patient- and surgeon-related factors was also obtained. A univariate analysis was performed to assess association of demographic and practice information with perceptions of reconstruction barriers.

Results:

Thirty-eight surgeons completed the questionnaires; 10 of the respondents were plastic surgeons (27%). The survey response rate was 40%. Factors that a majority of surgeons believed to limit access to reconstruction included limited experience (72.9%), resources (76.3%), and a lack of referrals for reconstruction (75%). In total, 76.5% of surgeons had performed <10 breast reconstruction cases in the past year. Two patient factors highlighted by most surgeons (>80%) were a lack of knowledge and concerns about cost.

Conclusions:

Perspectives from surgeons in the West African College of Surgeons suggest that barriers in access, patient awareness, surgeon technical expertise, and cost limit the delivery of breast reconstructive services to women in the region. Implementation of interventions focused on these specific metrics may serve as valuable first steps in the movement to increase access to breast reconstruction.

Effectiveness of clinical breast examination as a 'stand-alone' screening modality: an overview of systematic reviews

BACKGROUND

There is uncertainty about the effectiveness of clinical breast examination (CBE) and conflicting recommendations regarding its usefulness as a screening tool for breast cancer. This paper provides an overview of systematic reviews that assessed the effectiveness of CBE as a 'stand-alone' screening modality for breast cancer compared to no screening and focused on its value in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

METHODS

We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews for systematic reviews reporting the effectiveness of CBE published prior to October 29, 2019. The main outcomes assessed were mortality and down staging. The AMSTAR 2 checklist was used to assess the methodological quality of the reviews including risk of bias.

RESULTS

Eleven systematic reviews published between 1993 and 2019 were identified. There was no direct evidence that CBE reduced breast cancer mortality. Indirect evidence suggested that a well-performed CBE achieved the same effect as mammography regarding mortality despite its apparently lower sensitivity (40-69% for CBE vs 77-95% for mammography). Greater sensitivity was recorded among younger and Asian women. Moreover, CBE contributed between 17 and 47% of the shift from advanced to early stage cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

CBE merits attention from health system and service planners in LMICs where a national screening programme based on mammography would be prohibitively expensive. In particular, it is likely that considerable value would be gained from conducting implementation scientific research in countries with large numbers of Asian women and/or where younger women are at higher risk.

REGISTRATION

PROSPERO, registration number CRD42019126798 .

Prevalence and determinants of breast cancer screening in four sub-Saharan African countries: a population-based study

OBJECTIVES

Breast cancer is the most prevalent cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women after cervical cancer in much of sub-Saharan Africa. This study aims to examine the prevalence and sociodemographic-socioeconomic factors associated with breast cancer screening among women of reproductive age in sub-Saharan Africa.

DESIGN

A weighted population-based cross-sectional study using Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) data. We used all available data on breast cancer screening from the DHS for four sub-Saharan African countries (Burkina Faso, Ivory Coast, Kenya and Namibia). Breast cancer screening was the outcome of interest for this study. Multivariable Poisson regression was used to identify independent factors associated with breast cancer screening.

SETTING

Four countries participating in the DHS from 2010 to 2014 with data on breast cancer screening.

PARTICIPANTS

Women of reproductive age 15-49 years (N=39 646).

RESULTS

The overall prevalence of breast cancer screening was only 12.9% during the study period, ranging from 5.2% in Ivory Coast to 23.1% in Namibia. Factors associated with breast cancer screening were secondary/higher education with adjusted prevalence ratio (adjusted PR)=2.33 (95% CI: 2.05 to 2.66) compared with no education; older participants, 35-49 years (adjusted PR=1.73, 95% CI : 1.56 to 1.91) compared with younger participants 15-24 years; health insurance coverage (adjusted PR=1.57, 95% CI: 1.47 to 1.68) compared with those with no health insurance and highest socioeconomic status (adjusted PR=1.33, 95% CI : 1.19 to 1.49) compared with lowest socioeconomic status.

CONCLUSION

Despite high breast cancer mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa, the prevalence of breast cancer screening is substantially low and varies gradually across countries and in relation to factors such as education, age, health insurance coverage and household wealth index level. These results highlight the need for increased efforts to improve the uptake of breast cancer screening in sub-Saharan Africa.

Healthcare delivery interventions to reduce cancer disparities worldwide

Globally, cancer care delivery is marked by inequalities, where some economic, demographic, and sociocultural groups have worse outcomes than others. In this review, we sought to identify patient-facing interventions designed to reduce disparities in cancer care in both high- and low-income countries. We found two broad categories of interventions that have been studied in the current literature: Patient navigation and telehealth. Navigation has the strongest evidence base for reducing disparities, primarily in cancer screening. Improved outcomes with navigation interventions have been seen in both high- and low-income countries. Telehealth interventions remain an active area of exploration, primarily in high income countries, with the best evidence being for the remote delivery of palliative care. Ongoing research is needed to identify the most efficacious, cost-effective, and scalable interventions to reduce barriers to the receipt of cancer care globally.

Assessment of Barriers and Facilitators to the Delivery of Care for Noncommunicable Diseases by Nonphysician Health Workers in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Qualitative Analysis

IMPORTANCE

Cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading causes of mortality in low- and middle-income countries. Previous studies show that nonphysician health workers (NPHWs), including nurses and volunteers, can provide effective diagnosis and treatment of NCDs. However, the factors that facilitate and impair these programs are incompletely understood.

OBJECTIVE

To identify health system barriers to and facilitators of NPHW-led care for NCDs in low- and middle-income countries.

DATA SOURCES

All systematic reviews in PubMed published by May 1, 2018.

STUDY SELECTION

The search terms used for this analysis included "task shifting" and "non-physician clinician." Only reviews of NPHW care that occurred entirely or mostly in low- and middle-income countries and focused entirely or mostly on NCDs were included. All studies cited within each systematic review that cited health system barriers to and facilitators of NPHW care were reviewed.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Assessment of study eligibility was performed by 1 reviewer and rechecked by another. The 2 reviewers extracted all data. Reviews were performed from November 2017 to July 2018. All analyses were descriptive.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

All barriers and facilitators mentioned in all studies were tallied and sorted according to the World Health Organization's 6 building blocks for health systems.

RESULTS

This systematic review and qualitative analysis identified 15 review articles, which cited 156 studies, of which 71 referenced barriers to and facilitators of care. The results suggest 6 key lessons: (1) select qualified NPHWs embedded within the community they serve; (2) provide detailed, ongoing training and supervision; (3) authorize NPHWs to prescribe medication and render autonomous care; (4) equip NPHWs with reliable systems to track patient data; (5) furnish NPHWs consistently with medications and supplies; and (6) compensate NPHWs adequately commensurate with their roles.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Although the health system barriers to NPHW screening, treatment, and control of NCDs and their risk factors are numerous and complex, a diverse set of care models has demonstrated strategies to address nearly all of these challenges. These facilitating approaches-which relate chiefly to strong, consistent NPHW training, guidance, and logistical support-generate a blueprint for the creation and scale-up of such programs adaptable across multiple chronic diseases, including in high-income countries.

Breast Cancer Screening: Why Can't Everyone Agree?

Screening mammography and evolving treatments have improved mortality over the last 25 years. However, breast cancer remains the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality for women in the United States. There are several contradictory recommendations regarding breast cancer screening. Familiarity with these recommendations will allow physicians to counsel their patients and ensure well-informed shared decision making.

Promoting Breast Cancer Awareness and Screening Practices for Early Detection in Low-Resource Settings

Objective

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women in the Philippines. Philippines has one of the highest breast cancer mortality rate and the lowest mortality-to-incidence ratio in Asia. This study has three objectives: 1) explore Filipino women's knowledge, attitudes toward, and practices of breast cancer and cancer screening, 2) examine if an educational program increases women's intention to seek future breast cancer screening, and 3) examine associations between demographic variables and breast cancer screening practices.

Materials and Methods

A total of 944 women from two urban areas (Calasciao and Tacloban City) and one rural area (Sogood) of the Philippines participated in this cross-sectional study. Study participants attended an educational program and completed study questionnaires regarding demographics, knowledge about, and practices of breast self-exams, clinical breast exams and mammography as well as reported barriers toward future screening.

Results

The results showed a disparity between knowledge of routine breast cancer screening and actuals screening behaviors. Following breast health education and screening programs, participants reported greater intention to adhere to recommended breast cancer screening guidelines. The multivariate analyses showed that education level is a significant predictor for CBE and mammography uptake in current study.

Conclusion

This study has implications for breast cancer control among women in low-resources settings. Designing and implementing effective educational programs that increase women's awareness about breast cancer and promote screening uptake are important steps to reduce the burden affected by breast cancer among women in the Philippines and other South Asian low- to middle-income countries.

Screen and Triage by Community Extension Workers to Facilitate Screen and Treat: Task-Sharing Strategy to Achieve Universal Coverage for Cervical Cancer Screening in Nigeria

Purpose Universal coverage of cervical cancer screening remains elusive in most low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), home to the greatest burden of this preventable disease. Implementation of a cytology-based screening strategy in these countries is challenging. Also, there is shortage of health care workers (HCWs) to implement the low-technology, cheaper, but equally effective, methods like visual inspection with acetic acid. However, the implementation of HIV programs in LMICs has introduced the innovation of task shifting and task sharing, using the community health extension workers (CHEWs) and community health officers (CHOs) to complement clinical HCWs, especially at the primary health care, level with good outcome. Hence, this study leveraged this strategy. Methods We piloted a study to improve knowledge and practice skills of CHEWs and CHOs in a rural community of Oyo state, Nigeria, through training and participatory supervision to screen for cervical cancer using visual inspection with acetic acid and link positive cases for treatment with cryotherapy. Results A total of 51 HCWs, including doctors, nurses, CHEWs, and CHOs, were trained during the study to provide cervical cancer screening services. After the training, cervical cancer and its prevention knowledge improved from 52.4% before training to 91.5% immediate after training. Over 12 months, 950 eligible women were screened, of whom 848 (89.3%) were screened by CHEWs and CHOs. Of the 63 rescreened by CHEWs and CHOs (data grouped), and nurses, 88.1% and 92.3%, respectively, agreed with expert team review, with κ statistics of 0.76 and 0.84, respectively. Conclusion This pilot project showed the ability of CHEWs and CHOs to identify cervical dysplasia was good and that of nurses was very good with appropriate competency training to achieve universal coverage of cervical cancer screening in LMICs.

Guidelines for early detection of breast cancer in Brazil. II - New national recommendations, main evidence, and controversies

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer mortality in Brazilian women. The new Brazilian guidelines for early detection of breast cancer were drafted on the basis of systematic literature reviews on the possible harms and benefits of various early detection strategies. This article aims to present the recommendations and update the summary of evidence, discussing the main controversies. Breast cancer screening recommendations (in asymptomatic women) were: (i) strong recommendation against mammogram screening in women under 50 years of age; (ii) weak recommendation for mammogram screening in women 50 to 69 years of age; (iii) weak recommendation against mammogram screening in women 70 to 74 years of age; (iv) strong recommendation against mammogram screening in women 75 years or older; (v) strong recommendation that screening in the recommended age brackets should be every two years as opposed to shorter intervals; (vi) weak recommendation against teaching breast self-examination as screening; (vii) absence of recommendation for or against screening with clinical breast examination; and (viii) strong recommendation against screening with magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasonography, thermography, or tomosynthesis alone or as a complement to mammography. The recommendations for early diagnosis of breast cancer (in women with suspicious signs or symptoms) were: (i) weak recommendation for the implementation of awareness-raising strategies for early diagnosis of breast cancer; (ii) weak recommendation for use of selected signs and symptoms in the current guidelines as the criterion for urgent referral to specialized breast diagnosis services; and (iii) weak recommendation that every breast cancer diagnostic workup after the identification of suspicious signs and symptoms in primary care should be done in the same referral center.

Cost-Effectiveness of Breast Cancer Screening in Turkey, a Developing Country: Results from Bahçeşehir Mammography Screening Project

OBJECTIVE

We used the results from the first three screening rounds of Bahcesehir Mammography Screening Project (BMSP), a 10-year (2009-2019) and the first organized population-based screening program implemented in a county of Istanbul, Turkey, to assess the potential cost-effectiveness of a population-based mammography screening program in Turkey.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two screening strategies were compared: BMSP (includes three biennial screens for women between 40-69) and Turkish National Breast Cancer Registry Program (TNBCRP) which includes no organized population-based screening. Costs were estimated using direct data from the BMSP project and the reimbursement rates of Turkish Social Security Administration. The life-years saved by BMSP were estimated using the stage distribution observed with BMSP and TNBCRP.

RESULTS

A total of 67 women (out of 7234 screened women) were diagnosed with breast cancer in BMSP. The stage distribution for AJCC stages O, I, II, III, IV was 19.4%, 50.8%, 20.9%, 7.5%, 1.5% and 4.9%, 26.6%, 44.9%, 20.8%, 2.8% with BMSP and TNBCRP, respectively. The BMSP program is expected to save 279.46 life years over TNBCRP with an additional cost of $677.171, which implies an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of $2.423 per saved life year. Since the ICER is smaller than the Gross Demostic Product (GDP) per capita in Turkey ($10.515 in 2014), BMSP program is highly cost-effective and remains cost-effective in the sensitivity analysis.

CONCLUSION

Mammography screening may change the stage distribution of breast cancer in Turkey. Furthermore, an organized population-based screening program may be cost-effective in Turkey and in other developing countries. More research is needed to better estimate life-years saved with screening and further validate the findings of our study.

Do online prognostication tools represent a valid alternative to genomic profiling in the context of adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer? A systematic review of the literature

INTRODUCTION

Decision-making regarding adjuvant chemotherapy has been based on clinical and pathological features. However, such decisions are seldom consistent. Web-based predictive models have been developed using data from cancer registries to help determine the need for adjuvant therapy. More recently, with the recognition of the heterogenous nature of breast cancer, genomic assays have been developed to aid in the therapeutic decision-making.

METHODS

We have carried out a comprehensive literature review regarding online prognostication tools and genomic assays to assess whether online tools could be used as valid alternatives to genomic profiling in decision-making regarding adjuvant therapy in early breast cancer.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

Breast cancer has been recently recognized as a heterogenous disease based on variations in molecular characteristics. Online tools are valuable in guiding adjuvant treatment, especially in resource constrained countries. However, in the era of personalized therapy, molecular profiling appears to be superior in predicting clinical outcome and guiding therapy.

Interventions for raising breast cancer awareness in women

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer continues to be the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women globally. Early detection, diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer are key to better outcomes. Since many women will discover a breast cancer symptom themselves, it is important that they are breast cancer aware i.e. have the knowledge, skills and confidence to detect breast changes and present promptly to a healthcare professional.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness of interventions for raising breast cancer awareness in women.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Breast Cancer Group's Specialised Register (searched 25 January 2016), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2015, Issue 12) in the Cochrane Library (searched 27 January 2016), MEDLINE OvidSP (2008 to 27 January 2016), Embase (Embase.com, 2008 to 27 January 2016), the World Health Organization's International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP) search portal and ClinicalTrials.gov (searched 27 Feburary 2016). We also searched the reference lists of identified articles and reviews and the grey literature for conference proceedings and published abstracts. No language restriction was applied.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) focusing on interventions for raising women's breast cancer awareness i.e. knowledge of potential breast cancer symptoms/changes and the confidence to look at and feel their breasts, using any means of delivery, i.e. one-to-one/group/mass media campaign(s).

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two authors selected studies, independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias. We reported the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for dichotomous outcomes and mean difference (MD) and standard deviation (SD) for continuous outcomes. Since it was not possible to combine data from included studies due to their heterogeneity, we present a narrative synthesis. We assessed the quality of evidence using GRADE methods.

MAIN RESULTS

We included two RCTs involving 997 women: one RCT (867 women) randomised women to receive either a written booklet and usual care (intervention group 1), a written booklet and usual care plus a verbal interaction with a radiographer or research psychologist (intervention group 2) or usual care (control group); and the second RCT (130 women) randomised women to either an educational programme (three sessions of 60 to 90 minutes) or no intervention (control group). Knowledge of breast cancer symptomsIn the first study, knowledge of non-lump symptoms increased in intervention group 1 compared to the control group at two years postintervention, but not significantly (OR 1.1, 95% CI 0.7 to 1.6; P = 0.66; 449 women; moderate-quality evidence). Similarly, at two years postintervention, knowledge of symptoms increased in the intervention group 2 compared to the control group but not significantly (OR 1.4, 95% CI 0.9 to 2.1; P = 0.11; 434 women; moderate-quality evidence). In the second study, women's awareness of breast cancer symptoms had increased one month post intervention in the educational group (MD 3.45, SD 5.11; 65 women; low-quality evidence) compared to the control group (MD -0.68, SD 5.93; 65 women; P < 0.001), where there was a decrease in awareness. Knowledge of age-related riskIn the first study, women's knowledge of age-related risk of breast cancer increased, but not significantly, in intervention group 1 compared to control at two years postintervention (OR 1.8; 95% CI 0.9 to 3.5; P < 0.08; 447 women; moderate-quality evidence). Women's knowledge of risk increased significantly in intervention group 2 compared to control at two years postintervention (OR 4.8, 95% CI 2.6 to 9.0; P < 0.001; 431 women; moderate-quality evidence). In the second study, women's perceived susceptibility (how at risk they considered themselves) to breast cancer had increased significantly one month post intervention in the educational group (MD 1.31, SD 3.57; 65 women; low-quality evidence) compared to the control group (MD -0.55, SD 3.31; 65 women; P = 0.005), where a decrease in perceived susceptibility was noted. Frequency of Breast CheckingIn the first study, no significant change was noted for intervention group 1 compared to control at two years postintervention (OR 1.1, 95% CI 0.8 to 1.6; P = 0.54; 457 women; moderate-quality evidence). Monthly breast checking increased, but not significantly, in intervention group 2 compared to control at two years postintervention (OR 1.3, 95% CI 0.9 to 1.9; P = 0.14; 445 women; moderate-quality evidence). In the second study, women's breast cancer preventive behaviours increased significantly one month post intervention in the educational group (MD 1.21, SD 2.54; 65 women; low-quality evidence) compared to the control group (MD 0.15, SD 2.94; 65 women; P < 0.045). Breast Cancer AwarenessWomen's overall breast cancer awareness did not change in intervention group 1 compared to control at two years postintervention (OR 1.8, 95% CI 0.6 to 5.30; P = 0.32; 435 women; moderate-quality evidence) while overall awareness increased in the intervention group 2 compared to control at two years postintervention (OR 8.1, 95% CI 2.7 to 25.0; P < 0.001; 420 women; moderate-quality evidence). In the second study, there was a significant increase in scores on the Health Belief Model (that included the constructs of awareness and perceived susceptibility) at one month postintervention in the educational group (mean 1.21, SD 2.54; 65 women) compared to the control group (mean 0.15, SD 2.94; 65 women; P = 0.045).Neither study reported outcomes relating to motivation to check their breasts, confidence to seek help, time from breast symptom discovery to presentation to a healthcare professional, intentions to seek help, quality of life, adverse effects of the interventions, stages of breast cancer, survival estimates or breast cancer mortality rates.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

Based on the results of two RCTs, a brief intervention has the potential to increase women's breast cancer awareness. However, findings of this review should be interpreted with caution, as GRADE assessment identified moderate-quality evidence in only one of the two studies reviewed. In addition, the included trials were heterogeneous in terms of the interventions, population studied and outcomes measured. Therefore, current evidence cannot be generalised to the wider context. Further studies including larger samples, validated outcome measures and longitudinal approaches are warranted.

Performance of a subsidised mammographic screening programme in Malaysia, a middle-income Asian country

BACKGROUND

The incidence of breast cancer in Asia is increasing because of urbanization and lifestyle changes. In the developing countries in Asia, women present at late stages, and mortality is high. Mammographic screening is the only evidence-based screening modality that reduces breast cancer mortality. To date, only opportunistic screening is offered in the majority of Asian countries because of the lack of justification and funding. Nevertheless, there have been few reports on the effectiveness of such programmes. In this study, we describe the cancer detection rate and challenges experienced in an opportunistic mammographic screening programme in Malaysia.

METHODS

From October 2011 to June 2015, 1,778 asymptomatic women, aged 40-74 years, underwent subsidised mammographic screening. All patients had a clinical breast examination before mammographic screening, and women with mammographic abnormalities were referred to a surgeon. The cancer detection rate and variables associated with a recommendation for adjunct ultrasonography were determined.

RESULTS

The mean age for screening was 50.8 years and seven cancers (0.39%) were detected. The detection rate was 0.64% in women aged 50 years and above, and 0.12% in women below 50 years old. Adjunct ultrasonography was recommended in 30.7% of women, and was significantly associated with age, menopausal status, mammographic density and radiologist's experience. The main reasons cited for recommendation of an adjunct ultrasound was dense breasts and mammographic abnormalities.

DISCUSSION

The cancer detection rate is similar to population-based screening mammography programmes in high-income Asian countries. Unlike population-based screening programmes in Caucasian populations where the adjunct ultrasonography rate is 2-4%, we report that 3 out of 10 women attending screening mammography were recommended for adjunct ultrasonography. This could be because Asian women attending screening are likely premenopausal and hence have denser breasts. Radiologists who reported more than 360 mammograms were more confident in reporting a mammogram as normal without adjunct ultrasonography compared to those who reported less than 180 mammograms.

CONCLUSION

Our subsidised opportunistic mammographic screening programme is able to provide equivalent cancer detection rates but the high recall for adjunct ultrasonography would make screening less cost-effective.

Developing a Breast Cancer Screening Program in Nigeria: Evaluating Current Practices, Perceptions, and Possible Barriers

Purpose

In low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria, women present with advanced breast cancer at an earlier age. Given the limited resources, development of screening programs that parallel resource capabilities of low- and middle-income countries is imperative. The objective of this study was to evaluate the perceptions, practices, and barriers regarding clinical breast examination (CBE) screening in a low-income community in Nigeria.

Materials and Methods

A cross-sectional survey of women age 40 years or older in Ife, Nigeria, using multistaged sampling was performed. Information on sociodemographics, knowledge of breast cancer, screening practices, and willingness to participate in CBE screening was obtained using an interviewer-administered questionnaire.

Results

A total of 1,169 women whose ages ranged from 40 to 86 years (mean age, 47.7 years; standard deviation, 8.79 years) were interviewed. The majority of women (94%) knew about breast cancer, whereas 27.5% knew someone who had had breast cancer, the majority of whom (64.5%) had died of the disease. Of the 36% of women who had breast screening recommended to them, only 19.7% had an actual CBE. Of these, only 6% had it in the last year. The majority of women (65.4%) were willing to have regular CBEs and did not care about the sex of the examiner in most instances. Lack of perceived need was the reason cited by women unwilling to participate.

Conclusion

The majority of women were aware of breast cancer and knew it as a fatal disease. With the relatively encouraging number of those willing to be examined, a carefully designed CBE program coupled with advocacy to correct uneducated beliefs seems promising.

Organization and Evaluation of Performance Indicators of a Breast Cancer Screening Program in Meknes-Tafilalt Region, Morocco

Objective: The benefits of screening and early detection of breast cancer, including reduced morbidity and mortality, have been well-reported in the literature. In 2011, a breast cancer screening program was launched in Meknes-Tafilalt region of Morocco. The aim of this study was to evaluate the early performance indicators of this program. Materials and Methods: This retrospective evaluative study was conducted between April 2012 and December 2014, in Meknes-Tafilalt region of Morocco. Several performance indicators of the breast cancer screening program were calculated: the compliance rate, the positivity rate, the referral rate, the cancer detection rate and the organizational indicators. Results: During 2012-2014, a total of 184,951 women participated in the breast cancer screening program. The compliance rate was 26%, the positive rate was 3.3%, the referral rate was 36.7%, and the cancer detection rate was 1.2 per 1,000 women. The median time between the date of clinical breast examination and the date of biopsy (or cyto-puncture) was 36 days. The median time between the date of positive mammography and the date of biopsy (or cyto-puncture) was 6 days. The median time between the date of clinical breast examination and the date of the first received treatment was 61 days. Conclusions: The program needs better monitoring, as well as implementation of quality assurance tools to improve performance in our country.

Challenges in the early detection of breast cancer in resource-poor settings

Breast cancer is increasing in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with high-income countries, where presentation with later stages coupled with suboptimal treatment leads to a high mortality rate. An important strategy is to detect cancers at an early stage where cure is possible. Screening mammography requires resources that are not available in LMICs. Clinical breast examination and breast self-examination have not been shown to reduce mortality from breast cancer. Despite efforts to promote early detection, barriers to early detection in LMICs persist, and these barriers are not only due to poverty and illiteracy, but also due to psychosocial and cultural issues present in LMICs. Clearly, there are many challenges to early detection in LMICs that have to be addressed.

Should low-income countries invest in breast cancer screening?

With the increase in incidence and mortality of breast cancer in low-income countries (LICs), the question of whether LICs should promote breast cancer screening for early detection has gained tremendous importance. Because LICs have limited financial resources, the value of screening must be carefully considered before integrating screening programs into national healthcare system. Mammography-the most commonly used screening tool in developed countries-reduces breast cancer-specific mortality among women of age group 50-69, but the evidence is not so clear for younger women. Further, it does not reduce the overall mortality. Because the women in LICs tend to get breast cancer at younger age and are faced with various competing causes of mortality, LICs need to seriously evaluate whether mammographic screening presents a good value for the investment. Instead, we suggest a special module of clinical breast examination that could provide similar benefits at a very low cost. Nevertheless, we believe that LICs would obtain a much greater value for their investment if they promote primary prevention by tobacco cessation, healthier food and healthier lifestyle campaigns instead.

Breast Cancer in Sub-Saharan Africa: Challenges and Opportunities to Reduce Mortality

: The objective of this review is to describe existing data on breast cancer incidence and mortality in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), in particular in sub-Saharan Africa; identify the limitations of these data; and review what is known about breast cancer control strategies in sub-Saharan African countries and other LMICs. Available estimates demonstrate that breast cancer incidence and mortality are rising in LMICs, including in Africa, although high-quality data from LMICs (and particularly from sub-Saharan Africa) are largely lacking. Case fatality rates from breast cancer appear to be substantially higher in LMICs than in high-income countries. Significant challenges exist to developing breast cancer control programs in LMICs, perhaps particularly in sub-Saharan Africa, and the most effective strategies for treatment and early detection in the context of limited resources are uncertain. High-quality research on breast cancer incidence and mortality and implementation research to guide effective breast cancer control strategies in LMICs are urgently needed. Enhanced investment in breast cancer research and treatment in LMICs should be a global public health priority.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE

The numbers of new cases of breast cancer, and breast cancer deaths per year, in low- and middle-income countries are rising. Engagement by the international breast cancer community is critical to reduce global disparities in breast cancer outcomes. Cancer specialists and institutions in high-income countries can serve as key partners in training initiatives, clinical care, protocol and program development, and research. This article provides an overview of what is known about breast cancer incidence, mortality, and effective strategies for breast cancer control in sub-Saharan Africa and identifies key gaps in the literature. This information can help guide priorities for engagement by the global cancer community.

Transforming breast cancer control campaigns in low and middle-income settings: Tanzanian experience with 'Check It, Beat It'

Breast cancer incidence and mortality rates are similar in low resource settings like Tanzania. Structural and sociocultural barriers make late presentation typical in such settings where treatment options for advanced stage disease are limited. In the absence of national programmes, stand-alone screening campaigns tend to employ clinical models of delivery focused on individual behaviour and through a disease specific lens. This paper describes a case study of a 2010 stand-alone campaign in Tanzania to argue that exclusively clinical approaches can undermine screening efforts by premising that women will act outside their social and cultural domain when responding to screening services. A focus on sociocultural barriers dictated the approach and execution of the intervention. Our experience concurs with that in similar settings elsewhere, underscoring the importance of barriers situated within the sociocultural milieu of societies when considering prevention interventions. Culturally competent delivery could contribute to long-term reductions in late stage presentation and increases in treatment acceptance. We propose a paradigm shift in the approach to stand-alone prevention programmes.

Screening by Clinical Breast Examination in Western Kenya: Who Comes?

Purpose

More than 80% of women with breast cancer in Kenya present to medical care with established late-stage disease. We sought to understand why women might not participate in breast cancer screening when it is offered by comparing the views of a cohort of those who attended a screening special event with those of community controls who did not attend.

Methods

All residents living close to three health centers in western Kenya were invited to participate in screening. Participants (attendees) underwent clinical breast examination by trained physician oncologists. In addition, women who consented were interviewed by using a modified Breast Cancer Awareness Module questionnaire. Nonattendees were interviewed in their homes the following day.

Results

A total of 1,511 attendees (1,238 women and 273 men) and 467 nonattendee women participated in the study. Compared with nonattendees, the women attendees were older, more often employed, knew that breast cancer presented as a lump, and were more likely to have previously felt a lump in a breast. In addition, they were more likely to report previously participating in screening activities, were more likely to have performed breast self-examination, and were less concerned about wasting a doctor’s time. Almost all those surveyed (attendees and nonattendees) expressed interest in future breast cancer screening opportunities.

Conclusion

The women who volunteer for breast cancer screening in western Kenya are more aware of breast cancer than those who do not volunteer. Screening recruitment should seek to close these knowledge gaps to increase participation.

Design and Development of an Artificial Intelligent System for Audio-Visual Cancer Breast Self-Examination

This paper presents the development of a computer system for breast cancer awareness and education, particularly, in proper breast self-examination (BSE) performance. It includes the design and development of an artificial intelligent system (AIS) for audio-visual BSE which is capable of computer vision (CV), speech recognition (SR), speech synthesis (SS), and audio-visual (AV) feedback response. The AIS is named BEA, an acronym for Breast Examination Assistant, which acts like a virtual health care assistant that can assist a female user in performing proper BSE. BEA is composed of four interdependent modules: perception, memory, intelligence, and execution. Collectively, these modules are part of an intelligent operating architecture (IOA) that runs the BEA system. The methods of development of the individual subsystems (CV, SR, SS, and AV feedback) together with the intelligent integration of these components are discussed in the methodology section. Finally, the authors presented the results of the tests performed in the system.