Introduction of a Hybrid Tele-oncology Program in a Low-Resource Setting in Sub-Saharan Africa

Paul Mobit; Waleed Mourad; Edmund Folefac; Weisi Yan; Nicholas Ade; Paulin Harmoniel Imandi; Mouelle Sone; Rachael Tayou; Isabella Fri Tayong

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14

Introduction of a Hybrid Tele-oncology Program in a Low-Resource Setting in Sub-Saharan Africa

Paul Mobit, Waleed Mourad, Edmund Folefac, Weisi Yan, Nicholas Ade, Paulin Harmoniel Imandi, Mouelle Sone, Rachael Tayou, Isabella Fri Tayong

Published in International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research (Volume 7, Issue 3)

Received: 10 May 2022 Accepted: 6 June 2022 Published: 10 August 2022

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Abstract

Cameroon Oncology Center (COC) is a modern oncology center that was commissioned for clinical use in 2019. COC is located just outside the city of Douala in the Republic of Cameroon in the central African sub-region in Sub-Saharan Africa. With the scarcity of qualified cancer treatment health professionals, COC has had to develop and deplore a hybrid telemedicine program for her oncology services. This paper describes the tele-oncology workflow with particular emphasis on radiotherapy. The oncology telemedicine model consists of a team of US-based experts supported by an onsite team in Cameroon. The team in Cameroon provides face-to-face consultations and clinical evaluation of patients, review of pertinent medical history and pathology, provides initial dose prescription based on accepted protocols, performs computed tomography simulation, radiation treatment delivery, quality control of radiation equipment and patient treatment, evaluations and monitoring during and post treatment consultations. The US-based team oversees treatment planning including contouring of the cancer and delineation of critical structures, computation and review of patient treatment plan, and transfer of approved plan to Cameroon for treatment delivery. With the presented telemedicine model, COC is able to provide high-quality radiation treatments to cancer patients in central Africa that is comparable to any international standard at a fraction of the cost for patients. With increased access to well-trained and experienced professionals, telemedicine is an effective tool to offer quality assured and safe radiotherapy to cancer patients in a resource-limited oncology setting.

Published in	International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research (Volume 7, Issue 3)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14
Page(s)	70-75
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Cancer, Cameroon Oncology Center, Telemedicine, Radiation Treatment Planning

References

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APA Style

Paul Mobit, Waleed Mourad, Edmund Folefac, Weisi Yan, Nicholas Ade, et al. (2022). Introduction of a Hybrid Tele-oncology Program in a Low-Resource Setting in Sub-Saharan Africa. International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research, 7(3), 70-75. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14

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ACS Style

Paul Mobit; Waleed Mourad; Edmund Folefac; Weisi Yan; Nicholas Ade, et al. Introduction of a Hybrid Tele-oncology Program in a Low-Resource Setting in Sub-Saharan Africa. Int. J. Clin. Oncol. Cancer Res. 2022, 7(3), 70-75. doi: 10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14

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AMA Style

Paul Mobit, Waleed Mourad, Edmund Folefac, Weisi Yan, Nicholas Ade, et al. Introduction of a Hybrid Tele-oncology Program in a Low-Resource Setting in Sub-Saharan Africa. Int J Clin Oncol Cancer Res. 2022;7(3):70-75. doi: 10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14

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@article{10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14,
  author = {Paul Mobit and Waleed Mourad and Edmund Folefac and Weisi Yan and Nicholas Ade and Paulin Harmoniel Imandi and Mouelle Sone and Rachael Tayou and Isabella Fri Tayong},
  title = {Introduction of a Hybrid Tele-oncology Program in a Low-Resource Setting in Sub-Saharan Africa},
  journal = {International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research},
  volume = {7},
  number = {3},
  pages = {70-75},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijcocr.20220703.14},
  abstract = {Cameroon Oncology Center (COC) is a modern oncology center that was commissioned for clinical use in 2019. COC is located just outside the city of Douala in the Republic of Cameroon in the central African sub-region in Sub-Saharan Africa. With the scarcity of qualified cancer treatment health professionals, COC has had to develop and deplore a hybrid telemedicine program for her oncology services. This paper describes the tele-oncology workflow with particular emphasis on radiotherapy. The oncology telemedicine model consists of a team of US-based experts supported by an onsite team in Cameroon. The team in Cameroon provides face-to-face consultations and clinical evaluation of patients, review of pertinent medical history and pathology, provides initial dose prescription based on accepted protocols, performs computed tomography simulation, radiation treatment delivery, quality control of radiation equipment and patient treatment, evaluations and monitoring during and post treatment consultations. The US-based team oversees treatment planning including contouring of the cancer and delineation of critical structures, computation and review of patient treatment plan, and transfer of approved plan to Cameroon for treatment delivery. With the presented telemedicine model, COC is able to provide high-quality radiation treatments to cancer patients in central Africa that is comparable to any international standard at a fraction of the cost for patients. With increased access to well-trained and experienced professionals, telemedicine is an effective tool to offer quality assured and safe radiotherapy to cancer patients in a resource-limited oncology setting.},
 year = {2022}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Introduction of a Hybrid Tele-oncology Program in a Low-Resource Setting in Sub-Saharan Africa
AU  - Paul Mobit
AU  - Waleed Mourad
AU  - Edmund Folefac
AU  - Weisi Yan
AU  - Nicholas Ade
AU  - Paulin Harmoniel Imandi
AU  - Mouelle Sone
AU  - Rachael Tayou
AU  - Isabella Fri Tayong
Y1  - 2022/08/10
PY  - 2022
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14
T2  - International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research
JF  - International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research
JO  - International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research
SP  - 70
EP  - 75
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2578-9511
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14
AB  - Cameroon Oncology Center (COC) is a modern oncology center that was commissioned for clinical use in 2019. COC is located just outside the city of Douala in the Republic of Cameroon in the central African sub-region in Sub-Saharan Africa. With the scarcity of qualified cancer treatment health professionals, COC has had to develop and deplore a hybrid telemedicine program for her oncology services. This paper describes the tele-oncology workflow with particular emphasis on radiotherapy. The oncology telemedicine model consists of a team of US-based experts supported by an onsite team in Cameroon. The team in Cameroon provides face-to-face consultations and clinical evaluation of patients, review of pertinent medical history and pathology, provides initial dose prescription based on accepted protocols, performs computed tomography simulation, radiation treatment delivery, quality control of radiation equipment and patient treatment, evaluations and monitoring during and post treatment consultations. The US-based team oversees treatment planning including contouring of the cancer and delineation of critical structures, computation and review of patient treatment plan, and transfer of approved plan to Cameroon for treatment delivery. With the presented telemedicine model, COC is able to provide high-quality radiation treatments to cancer patients in central Africa that is comparable to any international standard at a fraction of the cost for patients. With increased access to well-trained and experienced professionals, telemedicine is an effective tool to offer quality assured and safe radiotherapy to cancer patients in a resource-limited oncology setting.
VL  - 7
IS  - 3
ER  -

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Author Information

Paul Mobit

Department of Radiation Oncology, Cameroon Oncology Center, Douala, Cameroon
Waleed Mourad

Department Radiation Medicine, University of Kentucky Medical Center, Lexington, USA
Edmund Folefac

Department of Medical Oncology, The James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, USA
Weisi Yan

Department Radiation Oncology, Baptist Health Cancer Center, Corbin, USA
Nicholas Ade

Department of Radiation Oncology, Cameroon Oncology Center, Douala, Cameroon
Paulin Harmoniel Imandi

Department of Radiation Oncology, Cameroon Oncology Center, Douala, Cameroon
Mouelle Sone

Department of Radiation Oncology, Cameroon Oncology Center, Douala, Cameroon
Rachael Tayou

Department of Radiation Oncology, Cameroon Oncology Center, Douala, Cameroon
Isabella Fri Tayong

Cameroon Cancer Foundation, Douala, Cameroon

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APA Style

Paul Mobit, Waleed Mourad, Edmund Folefac, Weisi Yan, Nicholas Ade, et al. (2022). Introduction of a Hybrid Tele-oncology Program in a Low-Resource Setting in Sub-Saharan Africa. International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research, 7(3), 70-75. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14

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ACS Style

Paul Mobit; Waleed Mourad; Edmund Folefac; Weisi Yan; Nicholas Ade, et al. Introduction of a Hybrid Tele-oncology Program in a Low-Resource Setting in Sub-Saharan Africa. Int. J. Clin. Oncol. Cancer Res. 2022, 7(3), 70-75. doi: 10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14

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AMA Style

Paul Mobit, Waleed Mourad, Edmund Folefac, Weisi Yan, Nicholas Ade, et al. Introduction of a Hybrid Tele-oncology Program in a Low-Resource Setting in Sub-Saharan Africa. Int J Clin Oncol Cancer Res. 2022;7(3):70-75. doi: 10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14,
  author = {Paul Mobit and Waleed Mourad and Edmund Folefac and Weisi Yan and Nicholas Ade and Paulin Harmoniel Imandi and Mouelle Sone and Rachael Tayou and Isabella Fri Tayong},
  title = {Introduction of a Hybrid Tele-oncology Program in a Low-Resource Setting in Sub-Saharan Africa},
  journal = {International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research},
  volume = {7},
  number = {3},
  pages = {70-75},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijcocr.20220703.14},
  abstract = {Cameroon Oncology Center (COC) is a modern oncology center that was commissioned for clinical use in 2019. COC is located just outside the city of Douala in the Republic of Cameroon in the central African sub-region in Sub-Saharan Africa. With the scarcity of qualified cancer treatment health professionals, COC has had to develop and deplore a hybrid telemedicine program for her oncology services. This paper describes the tele-oncology workflow with particular emphasis on radiotherapy. The oncology telemedicine model consists of a team of US-based experts supported by an onsite team in Cameroon. The team in Cameroon provides face-to-face consultations and clinical evaluation of patients, review of pertinent medical history and pathology, provides initial dose prescription based on accepted protocols, performs computed tomography simulation, radiation treatment delivery, quality control of radiation equipment and patient treatment, evaluations and monitoring during and post treatment consultations. The US-based team oversees treatment planning including contouring of the cancer and delineation of critical structures, computation and review of patient treatment plan, and transfer of approved plan to Cameroon for treatment delivery. With the presented telemedicine model, COC is able to provide high-quality radiation treatments to cancer patients in central Africa that is comparable to any international standard at a fraction of the cost for patients. With increased access to well-trained and experienced professionals, telemedicine is an effective tool to offer quality assured and safe radiotherapy to cancer patients in a resource-limited oncology setting.},
 year = {2022}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Introduction of a Hybrid Tele-oncology Program in a Low-Resource Setting in Sub-Saharan Africa
AU  - Paul Mobit
AU  - Waleed Mourad
AU  - Edmund Folefac
AU  - Weisi Yan
AU  - Nicholas Ade
AU  - Paulin Harmoniel Imandi
AU  - Mouelle Sone
AU  - Rachael Tayou
AU  - Isabella Fri Tayong
Y1  - 2022/08/10
PY  - 2022
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14
T2  - International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research
JF  - International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research
JO  - International Journal of Clinical Oncology and Cancer Research
SP  - 70
EP  - 75
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2578-9511
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijcocr.20220703.14
AB  - Cameroon Oncology Center (COC) is a modern oncology center that was commissioned for clinical use in 2019. COC is located just outside the city of Douala in the Republic of Cameroon in the central African sub-region in Sub-Saharan Africa. With the scarcity of qualified cancer treatment health professionals, COC has had to develop and deplore a hybrid telemedicine program for her oncology services. This paper describes the tele-oncology workflow with particular emphasis on radiotherapy. The oncology telemedicine model consists of a team of US-based experts supported by an onsite team in Cameroon. The team in Cameroon provides face-to-face consultations and clinical evaluation of patients, review of pertinent medical history and pathology, provides initial dose prescription based on accepted protocols, performs computed tomography simulation, radiation treatment delivery, quality control of radiation equipment and patient treatment, evaluations and monitoring during and post treatment consultations. The US-based team oversees treatment planning including contouring of the cancer and delineation of critical structures, computation and review of patient treatment plan, and transfer of approved plan to Cameroon for treatment delivery. With the presented telemedicine model, COC is able to provide high-quality radiation treatments to cancer patients in central Africa that is comparable to any international standard at a fraction of the cost for patients. With increased access to well-trained and experienced professionals, telemedicine is an effective tool to offer quality assured and safe radiotherapy to cancer patients in a resource-limited oncology setting.
VL  - 7
IS  - 3
ER  -

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