Wilms Tumor Africa Collaboration

A multi-disciplinary group of experts in sub-Saharan Africa have formed a collaboration to implement a locally adapted treatment protocol to implement best practice in treating this kidney tumor.

Programme Centres

Malawi, Cameroon (3 centres), Ghana (2 centres), Ethiopia and Zimbabwe

Twinning Centre

Princess Maxima Centre for Pediatric Oncology, Netherlands

Programme Leaders

Prof Lorna Renner & Dr Vivian Paintsil - Ghana

Prof Elizabeth Molyneux & Dr George Chagaluka - Malawi

Dr Francine Kouya - Cameroon

Dr Haileyesus Adam - Ethiopia

Dr Inam Chitsike - Zimbabwe

Programme Mentor

Dr Trijn Israels, Princess Maxima Centre

Contact

See website here

Start Date

March 2014

Impact
Background
Problems
Key Activities

Survival from childhood cancer in sub-Saharan Africa is possible and twinning partnerships in the region have produced considerable progress. Wilms’ tumour is a relatively common and treatable kidney tumour, with survival rates of around 85% in developed countries. Treatment is multi-disciplinary and includes the involvement of paediatricians, surgeons, nurses, radiologists and pathologists to name a few. A multi-disciplinary group of African clinicians and international experts produced a consensus treatment guideline adapted to local circumstances with emphasis on social support to enable parents to complete treatment and provision of adequate supportive care. This guideline is now being used to treat children with Wilms’ tumour across several African centres, and the outcomes are monitored closely in order to understand the effectiveness of this treatment.

Limited access to diagnosis and treatment
Historical lack of a consensus treatment guideline
Little support for patients for drugs, transport and food
Families abandon treatment due to lack of social support
Inaccurate and delayed diagnosis
Little opportunity for collaboration and knowledge exchange
Lack of data collection systems or management

8 centres across 5 countries involved in the collaboration
Consensus treatment guideline produced
Nutritional assessment and support
Assistance with treatment and travel costs
Regional training to build diagnosis capacity
Central data collection and dissemination of progress
Regular meetings and mentoring for teams
Support for families through treatment
Follow-up patients after completion of treatment

8 centres in sub-Saharan Africa are using the treatment guidelines and centrally sharing their outcome data
More than 260 children have so far been treated using the adapted guidelines
Several scientific papers have been published to share the result of the trial with the paediatric oncology community
Overall survival rates have increased from 25% before the use of the guidelines, to around 50%
Treatment abandonment has decreased from 31% to 13% by supporting families with treatment-related costs
Deaths during treatment have decreased from 26% to 13% through use of a standardised and adapted guideline
The support and friendship created regionally between the teams is very strong and ensures that better quality care is more sustainable