Browsing by Author "Walter, M. Fiona"

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Conceptual Framework to Guide Early Diagnosis Programs for Symptomatic Cancer as Part of Global Cancer Control
(Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc., 2021-01-06) Koo, Monica Minjoung; Unger-Saldaña, Karla; Mwaka, Amos Deogratius; Corbex, Marilys; Ginsburg, Ophira; Walter, M. Fiona; Calanzani, Natalia; Moodley, Jennifer; Rubin, P. Greg; Lyratzopoulos, Georgios
Diagnosing cancer earlier can enable timely treatment and optimize outcomes. Worldwide, national cancer control plans increasingly encompass early diagnosis programs for symptomatic patients, commonly comprising awareness campaigns to encourage prompt help-seeking for possible cancer symptoms and health system policies to support prompt diagnostic assessment and access to treatment. By their nature, early diagnosis programs involve complex public health interventions aiming to address unmet health needs by acting on patient, clinical, and system factors. However, there is uncertainty regarding how to optimize the design and evaluation of such interventions. We propose that decisions about early diagnosis programs should consider four interrelated components: first, the conduct of a needs assessment (based on cancer-site–specific statistics) to identify the cancers that may benefit most from early diagnosis in the target population; second, the consideration of symptom epidemiology to inform prioritization within an intervention; third, the identification of factors influencing prompt help-seeking at individual and system level to support the design and evaluation of interventions; and finally, the evaluation of factors influencing the health systems’ capacity to promptly assess patients. This conceptual framework can be used by public health researchers and policy makers to identify the greatest evidence gaps and guide the design and evaluation of local early diagnosis programs as part of broader cancer control strategies.
Knowledge of Cervical Cancer Risk Factors and Symptoms Among Women in a Refugee Settlement: A Cross-Sectional Study in Northern Uganda
(BioMed Central Ltd, 2020-12-03) Adoch, Winnie; Garimoi, Orach Christopher; Scott, E.Suzanne; Okeny, Goddie Geoffrey; Moodley, Jennifer; Komakech, Henry; Walter, M. Fiona; Mwaka, Amos Deogratius
Background: There are limited data on awareness of cervical cancer risk factors and symptoms among refugee populations living in Uganda. In this study, we sought to determine the awareness and knowledge of cervical cancer risk factors and symptoms among women in Palabek refugee settlement, northern Uganda. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study. 815 women (aged 18–60 years) were randomly selected using multistage sampling in Palabek refugee settlement. Data were collected using pre-tested, structured questionnaires. Logistic regression models were used to determine magnitudes of association between socio-demographic and health system factors, and knowledge on cervical cancer risk factors and symptoms. Results: The majority of participants (53%, n = 433) were young (18–29 years), married (68%, n = 553), and did not have formal employment (93%, n = 759). Less than half (40%, n = 325) had heard of cervical cancer. Of those who had heard, most recognized multiple male sexual partners, early onset of sexual intercourse and HPV infections as risk factors for cervical cancer (93%, n = 295; 89%, n = 283; and 86%, n = 271 respectively). Median knowledge score for risk factor recognition = 7 (IQR: 3–9). Median knowledge score for symptoms recognition = 7 (IQR: 1–10). Half of women (50%, n = 409) correctly recognized 7 to 11 symptoms of cervical cancer, with vaginal bleeding between menstrual periods, pelvic pain, and vaginal bleeding during/after sexual intercourse recognized by 58, 52 and 54% respectively. Single women (OR = 0.59 (95%CI: 0.38–0.94), and women that lived farther than 1 kilo meter from nearest health facility in South Sudan (OR = 0.36–0.49 (95%CI: 0.26–0.84) were less likely to be knowledgeable of symptoms of cervical cancer. Conclusion: A significant proportion of women in Palabek refugee settlement had not heard about cervical cancer. Refugee health services providers could increase awareness of cervical cancer risk factors and symptoms through health education in order to promote risk reduction behaviours and guide women during symptoms appraisal. Single women and those who lived more than one kilo metre from nearest health facility in home country could be a priority group for awareness intervention in the settlement.
Symptom Appraisal, Help-seeking and Perceived Barriers to Healthcare Seeking in Uganda: An Exploratory Study Among Women With Potential Symptoms of Breast and Cervical Cancer
(BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, 2021-01-19) Mwaka, Amos Deogratius; Walter, M. Fiona; Scott, Suzanne; Harries, Jane; Wabinga, Henry; Moodley, Jennifer
Objective We assessed the process of recognising abnormal bodily changes, interpretations and attributions, and help-seeking behaviour among community-based Ugandan women with possible symptoms of breast and cervical cancer, in order to inform health interventions aiming to promote timely detection and diagnosis of cancer. Design Qualitative in-depth interviews. Setting Rural and urban communities in Uganda. Participants Women who participated in the African Women Awareness of cancer cross-sectional survey who disclosed potential breast and cervical cancer symptoms were eligible; recruitment was purposive. Interviews were conducted in women’s homes, lasted between 40 and 90min, were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and translated to English. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes and subthemes, underpinned by the conceptual framework of the Model of Pathways to Treatment. Results 23 women were interviewed: 10 had potential symptoms of breast cancer and 13 of cervical cancer. Themes regarding symptom appraisal and help-seeking included the: (1) detection and interpretation of abnormal bodily sensations; (2) lay consultations regarding bodily changes; (3) iterative process of inferring and attributing illnesses to the bodily changes; (4) restricted disclosure of symptoms to lay people due to concerns about privacy and fear of stigmatisation; (5) help-seeking from multiple sources including both traditional and biomedical health practitioners, and (6) multiple perceived barriers to help-seeking including long waiting times, lack of medicines, absenteeism of healthcare professionals, and lack of money for transport and medical bills. Conclusion Women with potential symptoms of breast and cervical cancer undergo complex processes of symptom interpretation, attributing symptoms or inferring illness, and lay consultations before undertaking help-seeking and management. Increasing community understanding of breast and cervical cancer symptoms, and tackling perceived barriers to health-seeking, could lead to prompt and appropriate symptom appraisal and help-seeking, and contribute to improving cancer outcomes.