HIV status does not have an impact on positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) findings or radiotherapy treatment recommendations in patients with locally advanced cervical cancer

Access to Radiation Therapy and Related Clinical Outcomes in Patients With Cervical and Breast Cancer Across Sub-Saharan Africa: A Systematic Review

PURPOSE

To better understand the barriers to accessing standard-of-care radiation therapy (RT) for breast and cervical cancer in sub-Saharan Africa and their impact on outcomes.

METHODS

A comprehensive literature search was completed with a medical librarian. Articles were screened by title, abstract, and full text. Included publications were analyzed for data describing barriers to RT access, available technology, and disease-related outcomes, and further grouped into subcategories and graded according to predefined criteria.

RESULTS

A total of 96 articles were included: 37 discussed breast cancer, 51 discussed cervical cancer, and eight discussed both. Financial access was affected by health care system payment models and combined burdens of treatment-related costs and lost wages. Staffing and technology shortages limit the ability to expand service locations and/or increase capacity within existing centers. Patient factors including use of traditional healers, fear of stigma, and low health literacy decrease the likelihood of early presentation and completion of therapies. Survival outcomes are worse than most high- and middle-income countries and are affected by many factors. Side effects are similar to other regions, but these findings are limited by poor documentation capabilities. Access to palliative RT is more expeditious than definitive management. RT was noted to lead to feelings of burden, lower self-esteem, and worsened quality of life.

CONCLUSION

Sub-Saharan Africa represents a diverse region with barriers to RT that differ on the basis of funding, available technology and staff, and community populations. Although long-term solutions must focus on building capacity by increasing the number of treatment machines and providers, short-term improvements should be implemented, such as interim housing for traveling patients, increased community education to reduce late-stage diagnoses, and use of virtual visits to avoid travel.

Gynecological radiotherapy in people living with human immunodeficiency virus: a semi-systematic literature review

Appropriate diagnosis and treatment of gynecological cancers in people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) remains a clinical challenge given rapid changes in both HIV and cancer management and a lack of prospective clinical trial data inclusive of the HIV population. A semi-systematic literature review was performed to identify published studies addressing risk factors, screening, treatment efficacy, treatment toxicity, and prognosis for people living with HIV diagnosed with gynecological malignancies, with a focus on radiotherapy and cervical cancer, given the relative paucity of literature on uterine, ovarian, and vulvovaginal cancers in people living with HIV. People living with HIV are more likely to be co-infected with human papilloma virus and more likely to develop human papilloma virus-associated malignancies. People living with HIV are less likely to receive cancer treatment compared with HIV-uninfected cancer patients, even after adjusting for differences in clinical features and sociodemographic variables. The literature on cervical cancer outcomes is mixed, with some studies demonstrating that people living with HIV have inferior treatment tolerability, response rates, and survival following chemoradiotherapy, and others showing no difference in these outcomes, particularly in patients receiving antiretroviral therapy. Importantly, even in the series showing inferior outcomes in people living with HIV, there were long-term survivors after administration of curative therapy. Consistent with published cancer management guidelines, people living with HIV diagnosed with gynecological cancers should be treated with standard cancer therapy. Co-management with the patient’s HIV specialist is critical to avoid overlapping toxicities and provide optimal supportive care. The morbidity and mortality caused by gynecologic cancers in this population can be mitigated by early diagnosis, appropriate treatment delivery including inclusion of people with HIV in cancer clinical trials, and diligent HIV management.