This study was conducted to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and assumption of cervical cancer by women living in Maroua, the capital of the Far North Province of Cameroon. In a 1-month period, 171 women were surveyed as to their socioeconomic status, sexual habits, prior knowledge of cervical cancer, its prevention, and their attitudes toward cervical cancer. Of 171 women, 48 (28%) had prior knowledge of cervical cancer; they were classified as the "aware group" compared with 123 of 171 (72%) women who were uninformed about cervical cancer and they were classified as the "unaware group" (UG). The UG of women tended to be single mothers, illiterate, housewives, and had their first child before the age of 20 (P < 0.005). Despite the awareness of cervical cancer by 28% of women, only a minority of them, 4 of 48 (8.3%), underwent a preventative screening test. Only 71 of 171 (41.5%) women stated that they would be having a screening test in the future. The awareness of cervical cancer by women in Cameroon is still inadequate. Thus, to avoid deaths from cervical cancer, a curable and preventable disease, the need of an aggressive campaign to make Cameroonian women aware of cervical cancer and its prevention is needed.

IntroductionTumors of salivary glands are rare. According to Johns and Goldsmith in 1989, their annual incidence is less than 1/100000 without noteworthy geographical gap. But other authors suggest that their distribution may vary according to the race and geographical location. In Cameroon, existing studies give incomplete data. Hence, we underwent this study in order to draw the general profile of salivary gland tumors in Cameroon.MethodsA retrospective study was carried out on the period spanning from January 2000 to December 2010 (11 years). It was done in nine Pathology services of different hospitals in Yaoundé, Douala and Bamenda. We consulted the archive registers of those services, retaining any patient with salivary gland tumor, whatever the histological type or location. Information gathered was the year of diagnosis, the service, the age and sex, the site of the tumor (gland) the histological type and the benign/ malignant character.ResultsWe recruited a total of 275 files. Women were 56% (154/275) and men 44% (121/275) of the sample. Fifty eight tumors were malignant (21.9%) while 217 were benign (78.1%). The overall mean age was 37.44 years, with extremes between 1 and 84 years. Pleomorphic adenoma (60.36%) was the most common benign tumor. Adenoid cystic carcinoma (31%), mucoepidermoid carcinoma (22.4%) and adenocarcinoma (19%) were the most common malignant tumors. Palate (66.7%), cheek (30%) and lips (3.3%) were the sites were the minor salivary glands were mostly involved.ConclusionThe differences with western world authors suggest a geographical variability of salivary gland tumors.

BackgroundObesity is a rising public health issue worldwide. Guidelines regarding maternal body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) are missing in Cameroon where maternal mortality rate remains very high. We hypothesized that obesity and inappropriate GWG are associated with poor pregnancy outcomes. We aimed at assessing associations of BMI and GWG with pregnancy outcomes.MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study at the Yaoundé Central Hospital. We included women with term singleton deliveries in the post-partum ward. The World Health Organisation classification of BMI and the United States Institute Of Medicine (IOM) categories of GWG were used to stratify participants. Poor maternal outcome was defined by the occurence of caesarean section, preeclampsia or obstetrical haemorrhage. Poor perinatal outcome was defined by the occurence of perinatal death, admission in intensive care unit, low birth weight, macrosomia or fifth minute Apgar score <7. Multiple logistic regressions were used to calculate unadjusted and adjusted Odds Ratios (uOR, aOR) for poor maternal outcome (PMO) and for poor perinatal outcome (PPO) in each category of BMI and GWG. Adjustment was done for age, scarred uterus, sickle cell disease, malaria, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, parity and smoking.ResultsOf the 462 participants, 17 (4 %) were underweight (BMI < 18.5), 228 (49 %) had normal pre-pregnancy BMI, 152 (33 %) were overweight (25 ≤ BMI < 30) and 65 (14 %) were obese (BMI ≥ 30). Following the IOM recommendations, GWG was normal for 186 (40 %) participants, less than recommended for 131 (28 %) and above the recommended norms for 145 (32 %). GWG above the IOM recommendation was significantly associated with PMO (aOR: 1.7, 95 % CI 1.1–2.8). GWG less than the IOM recommended values, overweight and obesity were not significantly associated with poor pregnancy outcomes.ConclusionWhile waiting for local recommendations for GWG, the IOM recommendations can be used for Cameroonian women as far as maternal outcome is concerned. Unlike in studies in different ethnic and racial groups, abnormal BMI was not associated with poor pregnancy outcomes in our cohort of Cameroonian women.

A multicentre analysis was carried out on bone tumours in Cameroon during a 10-year period. Registers and patient records of five pathology laboratories were consulted, and all patients with a histological report of a bone tumour were included in the study. A total of 268 bone tumours were studied and the average incidence was 27 tumours a year, or two per one million inhabitants. Of these tumours 48% were benign, 45% were primary bone cancers and only 6% were metastatic disease. Among the primary malignant bone tumours, osteosarcoma was the most frequent (39%), followed by non-Hodgkin's primary bone lymphoma, fibrosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, and Ewing's sarcoma. Primary site of the metastatic bone tumours was prostatic adenocarcinoma, breast cancer, hepatocarcinoma and thyroid cancer. In Cameroon many bone tumours are not diagnosed due to lack of medical facilities and little awareness among our medical staff. It is likely that the real incidence is at least ten times higher than that shown in our report.

Background. Cervical cancer screening is one of the most effective cancer prevention strategies, but most women in Africa have never been screened. In 2007, the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services, a large faith-based health care system in Cameroon, initiated the Women's Health Program (WHP) to address this disparity. The WHP provides fee-for-service cervical cancer screening using visual inspection with acetic acid enhanced by digital cervicography (VIA-DC), prioritizing care for women living with HIV/AIDS. They also provide clinical breast examination, family planning (FP) services, and treatment for reproductive tract infection (RTI). Here, we document the strengths and challenges of the WHP screening program and the unique aspects of the WHP model, including a fee-for-service payment system and the provision of other women's health services. Methods. We retrospectively reviewed WHP medical records from women who presented for cervical cancer screening from 2007-2014.