An assessment of survival outcomes among ovarian cancer patients at the National and Referral Hospital in Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Ovarian cancer has been shown to have poor survival outcomes attributed to late presentation. In Kenya, information on the survival outcomes of ovarian cancer patients is scarce. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine the survival outcomes among patients with ovarian cancer treated at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). AIMS: A hospital-based retrospective cohort study was performed at KNH to examine the survival outcomes of 112 ovarian cancer patients. The study employed a structured data abstraction tool to acquire patients' relevant socio-demographic and clinical characteristics from the patient's medical records. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS version 29.0 statistical software. Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses were used to determine the survival outcome and predictors of mortality among ovarian cancer patients, respectively. METHODS AND RESULTS: The mean age of the patients in this study was 51.28 ± 14.24 years. Most patients (59.8%) had evidence of distant metastasis during the follow-up period. One-third (33%) of patients were deceased. The mean-cancer-specific survival time among the study participants was 40.0 ± 3.0 months. The 5-year survival rate was 44%, with most patients experiencing disease progression during the last follow-up. Combination therapy (p < .001) was the only statistically significant predictor of mortality in ovarian cancer patients. CONCLUSION: The study found that the 5-year survival rate among ovarian cancer patients was poor, with most patients experiencing disease progression during the last follow-up period.

Assessment of survival outcomes among lung cancer patients at the National and Referral Hospital in Kenya.

INTRODUCTION: Lung cancer has a low overall survival rate linked to late diagnosis and metastasis. Unfortunately, comprehensive data within the African continent are limited due to the lack of a registry, low public awareness of lung cancer, financial constraints, and inadequate screening and treatment facilities. In addition, there was a lack of conclusive data in our setting. Therefore, this study aimed to assess survival outcomes among lung cancer patients at Kenyatta National Hospital. METHODS: A hospital-based retrospective cohort study was performed to examine the survival outcomes of 151 lung cancer patients. All eligible lung cancer patients diagnosed and treated in the facility between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2020, were included. The patients were retrospectively followed from the date of primary cancer diagnosis until death or the last follow-up period. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 statistical software was used to enter and analyze the data. Kaplan-Meier survival and Cox regression analysis were employed to determine median survival and predictors of mortality, respectively. RESULTS: The mean and median follow-time was 18.2 and 17.5 months, respectively. Most (98%) of the patients had non-small cell lung cancer. The 2-year survival rate was 66.7%, with 59.6% of patients having developed distant metastasis during the follow-up, while 25.1% were deceased. The median cancer-specific survival time among the study population was 18.0 ± 3.40 months. Cox regression analyses showed that patients with distant metastasis had five times more risk of dying (AHR: 4.74, 95% CI: 2.1-10.8, p < 0.001) than patients without distant metastasis. CONCLUSIONS: The overall two-year survival rate of lung cancer patients at the Kenyatta National Hospital was 66.7%, with most patients developed distant metastasis during the follow-up period. Distant metastasis was the only significant predictor of mortality among lung cancer patients in our setting.

Assessment of adverse events among cervical cancer patients at Kenyatta National Hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Due to their cytotoxic nature, anticancer drugs and radiotherapy have the potential to cause toxic adverse events. As a result, they can increase the risk of morbidity and mortality. However, there was a lack of data among cervical cancer patients in our setting. Hence, this study was aimed to assess the prevalence of adverse events among cervical cancer patients at Kenyatta National Hospital. METHODS: A cross-sectional study design was employed among a consecutive sample of 151 adult cervical cancer patients. The data were collected by reviewing the medical records and interviewing the patients. The data were entered and analyzed using SPSS 27.0 software. The results were presented with frequency tables and graphs. RESULTS: A total of 214 adverse events (prevalence of 100%) were identified from 151 patients. The most common adverse events identified were ulcerated sores (52.8%), dysuria (7.5%), thrombocytopenia (5.6%), and loss of appetite (5.6%). The majority of the patients (80.8%) who had adverse events were on radiotherapy. As per the Naranjo causality assessment scale, the predominant (80.1%) proportion of the adverse event was a probable adverse event with a total score of 5-8. Besides, 15.9% of the adverse events had a possible causality. The present study also reported that 61.6% of patients with a probable adverse event were treated with radiotherapy. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of adverse events among cervical patients was high in our setting. The predominant proportion of the adverse event was a probable adverse event and most of them were treated with radiotherapy.

Assessment of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and its associated factors among cervical cancer patients in the leading tertiary hospital in Kenya.

INTRODUCTION: Cisplatin is the widely used antineoplastic agent in managing cervical cancer despite nephrotoxicity being a major concern. In addition, there was a paucity of data about the degree of nephrotoxicity due to cisplatin in the study setting. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the prevalence of cisplatin nephrotoxicity among cervical patients. METHODS: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at the Cancer Treatment Centre of Kenyatta National Hospital among 100 cervical cancer patients treated with a cisplatin regimen. Simple random sampling was employed to the recruit medical record of patients. This study used a data abstraction tool to extract the patients' relevant socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. The data were analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25.0 software. Frequency tables and figures were used to present the findings of the study. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with cisplatin nephrotoxicity. RESULTS: The study showed a mean age of 52.09 ± 10.44 years. The prevalence rate of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in cervical cancer patients was 45%. Of these patients, 36% and 9% patients had grade 1 and 2 nephrotoxicities, respectively. Comorbidities (crude odd's ratio (COR) = 3.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.3-7.02, p = 0.011), hypertension (COR = 3.0, 95% CI = 1.1-7.8, p = 0.03), and more than three cycles of cisplatin treatment (adjusted odd's ratio = 4.5, 95% CI = 1.19-17.0, p = 0.027) were significant factors of nephrotoxicity. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity among cervical cancer patients was high in the study setting. Comorbidities, number of cycles and types of comorbidities were significant factors associated with cisplatin nephrotoxicity.

Medication-related problems and adverse drug reactions in Ethiopia: A systematic review.

Medication-related problems (MRPs) are an important healthcare problem. This study aimed at reviewing the published literature in Ethiopia to estimate the prevalence of MRPs and to summarize associated factors. A comprehensive systematic search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Google databases from inception to April 2020. Articles that addressed MRPs were eligible for inclusion. Article screening, data extraction, and study quality analysis were performed independently by two reviewers. Studies targeting specific disease condition were considered as specific, while the remaining were nonspecific. The prevalence of MRPs was then computed in medians and interquartile ranges (IQR), while associated factors were summarized in a table. Of the thirty-two studies included in this review, the majority of them (n = 24) targeted MRPs, while the remaining studies (n = 8) investigated adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Studies varied in the study design, study population, and definition of MRPs and ADRs used. The overall median prevalence was 70.8% (IQR = 61.0-80.2) with a range of 16.0% to 88.7%. The median prevalence of MRPs in specific and nonspecific patients was 71.2% (IQR = 60.7-71.2) and 69.3% (IQR = 60.7-82.0), respectively. In addition, a median of 36.6% (IQR = 10.0-85.7) of patients experienced ADRs. Indication-related and effectiveness-related MRPs were commonly reported in both specific and nonspecific patients, while noncompliance MRPs were more prevalent among specific patients than nonspecific patients. Increasing age, presence of co-morbidity, and an increasing number of drugs were the commonly identified contributing factors of MRPs. The review showed that more than two-thirds of the study participants developed MRPs. Hence, an integrated approach should be designed to improve the optimal use of pharmacotherapy to reduce the burden of MRPs. Further, future research should be undertaken to prepare cost-effective and efficient prevention mechanisms to reduce or halt the development of MRPs.

Assessment of drug therapy problems among patients with cervical cancer at Kenyatta National Hospital, Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Although cervical cancer is preventable, it is still the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the world. Further, it is estimated that around 5-10% of hospital admissions are due to drug related problems (DRPs), of which 50% are avoidable. In cancer therapy, there is an immense potential for DRPs due to the high toxicity of most chemotherapeutic regimens. Hence, this study sought to assess DRPs among patients with cervical cancer at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH). METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the oncology units of KNH. A total of 81 study participants were recruited through simple random sampling. Data were collected from medical records and interviewing patients. The appropriateness of medical therapy was evaluated by comparing with National Compressive Cancer Network and European Society for Medical Oncology practice guideline of cervical cancer treatment protocol. The degree of adherence was determined using eight-item Morisky medication adherence scale. The likelihood of drug interaction was assessed using Medscape, Micromedex and Epocrates drug interaction checkers. The data were entered in Microsoft Excel and analysed using statistical software STATA version 13.0. Descriptive statistics such as mean, percent and frequency were used to summarise patients' characteristics. Univariable and multivariable binary logistic regression were used to investigate the potential predictors of DRPs. RESULT: A total of 215 DRPs were identified from 76 patients, translating to a prevalence of 93.8% and a mean of 2.65 ± 1.22 DRPs. The predominant proportion of DRPs (48.2%) was identified in patients who had been treated with chemoradiation regimens. Adverse drug reactions 56(69.1%) and drug interactions 38(46.9%) were the most prevalent DRPs. Majority (67.9%) of the study population were adherent to their treatment regimens. Forgetfulness 18(69.2%), expensive medications 4(15.4%) and side effects of medications 4(15.4%) were the main reasons for medication non-adherence. Patients with advanced stage cervical cancer were 15.4 times (AOR = 15.4, 95% CI = 1.3-185.87, p = 0.031) more likely to have DRPs as compared to patients with early stage disease. CONCLUSION: Adverse drug reactions, drug interactions, and need of additional drug therapy were the most common DRPs identified among cervical cancer patients. Advanced stage cervical cancer was the only predictor of DRPs.