Digital roots: harnessing digital platforms in advancing traditional and complementary medicine for cancer care in Sub-Saharan Africa.

The rise in cancer rates in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), combined with limited access to Western pharmaceuticals, has sparked growing adoption of traditional and complementary medicine (T&CM) for cancer treatment in the region. However, many challenges exist, including the lack of reliable evidence-based research on these products, scarcity of standardized documentation as part of cancer registries, limited physician expertise, and negative effects on mortality. Nonetheless, herbal medicines also present opportunities for further research, development, and stakeholder education, potentially benefiting the regional healthcare systems in SSA countries and global health as whole. Recent trends highlight the willingness of patients to use mobile-based applications that provide accurate information on herbal therapeutics, reflecting the increasing adoption of internet and smart/mobile phone services in SSA. To maximize the potential benefits of traditional and complementary medicine, it is necessary to bridge the trust gap between the public, local practitioners, and Western healthcare providers. Sustained funding and policy support are needed to complement these initiatives. Our preliminary survey hopes to inspire the community and policymakers to embrace innovative solutions, fostering a forward-looking approach to cancer care in SSA.

Harnessing big data for health equity through a comprehensive public database and data collection framework.

The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) pledged $90 million to help reduce health disparities with data-driven solutions. The funds are being distributed to 1400 community health centers, serving over 30 million Americans. Given these developments, our piece examines the reasons behind the delayed adoption of big data for healthcare equity, recent efforts embracing big data tools, and methods to maximize potential without overburdening physicians. We additionally propose a public database for anonymized patient data, introducing diverse metrics and equitable data collection strategies, providing valuable insights for policymakers and health systems to better serve communities.

Abnormalities of the Vertebrobasilar Arterial System Leading to Sleep Disorders.

INTRODUCTION: The abnormalities in the vertebrobasilar arterial system such as enlarged, tortuous or dilated arteries and aneurysms can generate pressure and distortion of brain structures especially in the medulla and pons. This brainstem compression by abnormal arteries can lead to various sleep disorders such as sleep related hypoventilation, central sleep apnea, obstructive sleep apnea, and positional sleep apnea. AIM: To highlight brainstem compression due to vascular abnormalities as a cause of sleep disordered breathing. METHODS: Manuscripts were identified using the National Institutes of Health PubMed literature search system. Search terms included sleep disorders, vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia, tortuous vertebral arteries, vertebrobasilar aneurysms, vascular compression and brainstem compression. Inclusion criteria required that the articles were written in English, highlighted both a sleep disorder and a vascular abnormality. RESULTS: The literature search resulted in 10 case reports where vascular abnormalities were leading to sleep disorders. Out of these: four patients had central sleep apnea; three had sleep related hypoventilation; one had positional central sleep apnea; one had positional central apnea along with obstructive sleep apnea; and one had obstructive sleep apnea. The various vascular lesions identified were: megadolichobasilar artery; dolichoectatic vertebral artery; fusiform vertebrobasilar aneurysm; tortuous and elongated vertebral arteries; calcified vertebral artery and medullary telangiectasia. CONCLUSIONS: Arterial compression of the respiratory centers in the pons and medulla can lead to central sleep apnea. Obstructive sleep apnea can also result from vascular compression of the medulla. The proposed mechanism is compression of nucleus ambiguus which controls pharyngeal tone. Pressure on cranial nerves IX and X can lead to pharyngeal dysfunction leading to occlusive apnea.

Non-Dolichoectatic Vertebral Artery Compression of the Medulla: A Comprehensive Literature Review.

OBJECTIVE: Vertebral artery compression of the medulla is a rare vascular finding that causes a variety of clinical presentations, from asymptomatic to neurological disability. This article presents the largest literature review to date on medullary compression of the vertebral arteries. METHODS: An English literature search was performed using the PubMed database and the keywords vertebral artery tortuosity, vertebral artery compression, and medullary compression. RESULTS: A comprehensive literature search yielded 68 patients (57% male) with medullary compression by an intracranial vertebral artery (ICVA). The left side of the medulla was compressed in 44, the right side in 19, and bilateral in 7. The most common clinical symptom was weakness - 26 patients (36%) - 6 had quadriparesis and 6 had hemiparesis. 21 patients reported imbalance; 12 various sensory symptoms; 4 patients were asymptomatic. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding the anatomy of the vasculature can help mitigate future debilitating stroke symptoms. Concrete guidelines for revascularization surgery in symptomatic patients may also be effective. Future studies are needed to further clarify the prevalence, natural history, vascular etiology, and treatment of this condition, including asymptomatic patients and the likelihood that they will develop further neurological signs and disability.