Scoping review protocol: bladder cancer in Nigeria: what are the gaps in clinical care and research?

Scoping review: bladder cancer in Nigeria - what are the gaps in clinical care and research?

OBJECTIVES

There are currently no national guidelines regarding bladder cancer treatment and clinical care pathways in Nigeria. The aim of this scoping review was to identify any gaps in the knowledge of epidemiology, clinical care and translational research in order to aid the development of a defined clinical care pathway and guide future research.

METHODS

A scoping review was conducted by searching Medline, Ovid Gateway, The Cochrane library and Open Grey literature using predefined search terms from date of inception to June 2020. Studies were included if they discussed the epidemiology or treatment pathway of bladder cancer. All data were charted and were analysed in a descriptive manner. A consultation phase was also conducted consisting of a multidisciplinary team of clinicians and bladder cancer survivors.

RESULTS

A total of 19 studies were deemed suitable for inclusion. The themes included the epidemiology of bladder cancer (high prevalence of schistosomiasis), research surrounding the biology of the disease and translational research including potential biomarkers. The consultation phase highlighted some possible sociocultural and infrastructural issues relating to both the diagnosis and treatment of bladder cancer, with poor knowledge of bladder cancer and its symptoms within the general population identified as a key issue.

CONCLUSION

Even though the factors surrounding the relationship between schistosomiasis and the histopathology of bladder cancer remain unclear, there is potential for screening for schistosomiasis in endemic regions of sub-Saharan Africa. Other key areas for future research include the dissemination of information to the general population surrounding bladder cancer and its symptoms to encourage prompt diagnosis.

Acoustic Droplet Printing Tumor Organoids for Modeling Bladder Tumor Immune Microenvironment within a Week

Current organoid models are limited by the incapability of rapidly fabricating organoids that can mimic the immune microenvironment for a short term. Here, an acoustic droplet-based platform is presented to facilitate the rapid formation of tumor organoids, which retains the original tumor immune microenvironment and establishes a personalized bladder cancer tumor immunotherapy model. In combination with a hydrophobic substrate, the acoustic droplet printer can yield a large number of homogeneous and highly viable bladder tumor organoids in vitro within a week. The generated organoids consist of all components of bladder tumor, including diverse immune elements and tumor cells. By coculturing tumor organoids with autologous immune cells for 2 days, tumor reactive T cells are induced in vitro. Furthermore, it is also demonstrated that these tumor-reactive T cells can also enhance the killing efficiency of matched organoids. Because of the easy operation, repeatability, and stability, the proposed acoustic droplet platform will provide a reliable approach for personalized tumor immunotherapy.

The importance of patient and public involvement in cancer research: time to create a new job profile

Tweetable abstract Need to add #PPI coordinator to required job profiles in #research: improve research quality, enthuse research team and ensure #patients and their families are the center of our research activities.