Cancer Treatment in South Africa: A Narrative Literature Review

Venter, Mariska; Venter, C.J.H.; Botha, Karel

doi:10.1080/14330237.2012.10820555

Cited by 9 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…27,30 Positive emotional coping was related to rewarding peer patient and peer-parent relationships, positive medical care, deepening of family relationships and growth of spiritual faith. Appreciation for good communication, 19 kindness and good medical care confirms other findings that positive regard by medical personnel is a significant stress-reducing factor. 31 Many participants reported emotional benefit from the interview process (n = 31) and most indicated that the research interview was their first real opportunity to speak about their experience, which coincidentally evidences the lack of psychosocial support services through the trajectory of cancer care.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

“…As previously documented, 2,19 this study found that lack of public health awareness, misdiagnosis, poor cancer diagnostic skills at primary care clinics, incorrect treatments, unproductive admissions to regional hospitals and long waits for appointments all contributed to delays in children with cancer reaching tertiary oncology units. Despite the financial limitations of many families, when access to care became problematic, many participants searched for alternatives such as private doctors and pharmacies or even travelled to other towns.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 48%

“…19,20,21 It is evident from this study that many family members and parents of children with cancer persist through challenges and ultimately get their children to tertiary paediatric oncology centres.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some cancer stigma is entrenched in traditional culture and beliefs and shapes health-seeking decisions 19 and can perpetuate misconceptions about cancer. Children were also noted as particularly vulnerable in the school system where the stigma of cancer could lead to fearfulness and rejection by peers because of fearfulness of cancer, visible tumours, alopecia or just looking different.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although the lack of knowledge of cancer by many traditional healers can delay access to treatments, traditional healers are an important health resource for many communities and should be offered structured cancer education and respectful collaboration. 19 Powerlessness was a commonly reported theme and in one of its most serious forms, parents and guardians were excluded from children's medical examinations or prevented from staying in hospital (primary or regional hospitals) with young cancer patients who were older than 7 years. This practice has been observed in other studies 36 and besides being draconian and emotionally traumatic for all, is at odds with both constitutional 37, and children's rights 38 and poses a safety risk to children who are denied a dedicated adult guardian at a time when they are extremely vulnerable.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A descriptive qualitative study of childhood cancer challenges in South Africa: Thematic analysis of 68 photovoice contributions

Edwards

Greeff²

2017

S. Afr. j. oncol.

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Background: Many childhood cancers are treatable with cure rates between 70% and 80% in well-resourced countries, while approximately 80% of African children with cancer die without access to adequate care. South Africa has an established oncology health care service with overburdened infrastructure, low cancer awareness in the primary health care service and widespread service delivery challenges. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore, document and analyse the subjective experience of childhood cancer-related challenges in South Africa, and to make the results available to stakeholders. Setting: A total of 58 patient-participants (childhood cancer patients, parents and guardians of children with cancer) and 10 paediatric oncology workers (oncology social workers, oncology nurses and interim home carers) were selected from tertiary oncology centres and from the Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa (CHOC) interim care homes across South Africa. Method: Participants were selected via convenience sampling and qualitative data were derived from face-to-face photovoice interviews conducted by psychologists and social workers and supported by translators when necessary. Results: Nine themes of cancer challenges were identified via thematic content analysis of the photo-narratives, that is, physical and treatment challenges, emotional, poor services, transport, finances, information, powerlessness, stigma and schooling challenges. Conclusion: Lack of awareness and knowledge about cancer at the African traditional healer, primary and regional health care service levels were frequent challenges. Important feedback included lack of patient-centred care, separation of children with cancer from guardians, diagnostic delays, permanent disabilities for children because of cancer, emotional trauma, special needs of teenagers and a lack of community and palliative care support.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 72%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 48%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A descriptive qualitative study of childhood cancer challenges in South Africa: Thematic analysis of 68 photovoice contributions

Edwards

Greeff²

2017

S. Afr. j. oncol.

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Evidence-based feedback about emotional cancer challenges experienced in South Africa: A qualitative analysis of 316 photovoice interviews

Edwards¹,

Greeff

2017

Global Public Health

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This study aims to offer evidence-based feedback about the emotional challenges of cancer in South Africa. The action research photovoice methodology was used to capture accounts of cancer-related challenges via 316 face-to-face interviews with cancer patients and family members (n = 286), and oncology support and medical staff (n = 30). The photovoice contributions constituted qualitative data that were analysed according to inductive thematic analysis whereby nine themes of cancer challenges were identified and photovoice images were descriptively summarised from a phenomenological perspective. The emotional challenges theme was the most commonly reported of these themes, and is the focus of this paper. The findings of this study highlighted widespread emotional distress, anxiety, loss, poverty, physical challenges, traumatic impact of a cancer diagnosis, cancer stigma and low patient empowerment in the medical setting. Four main causes of patient emotional isolation in advanced stages of cancer are also identified, and this extends current understanding and offers new direction for clinical management. Recommendations from these findings include the need for the development and inclusion of psychosocial oncology services, best-practice standards of care, distress screening, patient empowerment and the prioritising of training and support for oncology staff in the South African health-care setting.

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Model of delivery of cancer care in South Africa’s Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga provinces: a situational analysis protocol

et al. 2022

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IntroductionCancer contributes to a significant proportion of morbidity and mortality globally. Low-income and middle-income countries such as South Africa tend to be characterised by poor and inequitable access to cancer services. Cancer resources are more likely to be found in urban areas, tertiary centres and quaternary hospitals. However, little is known about the linkages to care, continuity of care and packages of cancer care in rural South African settings. This study describes cancer service delivery for South Africa’s Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga provinces.Methods and analysisA mixed-methods qualitative and quantitative research methods of three substudies which include semistructured interviews with patients, focus group discussions with health providers and a quantitative record review that will be carried out at both Rob Ferreira hospital, Witbank hospital and Nelson Mandela Academic hospital in Mpumalanga and Eastern Cape province, respectively. Instruments assess demographic characteristics, explore packages of cancer care, explore challenges experienced by health professionals, and maps out the referral pathway of patients with a cancer diagnosis in the study sites. Numerical, quantitative data will be explored for normality using the Shapiro-Wilk test and reported using either the mean, SD and range or the median and IQR depending on the normality of the distribution. Qualitative data will be analysed using the phenomenological approach.Ethics and disseminationEthics approval was obtained from the Human Research Ethics Committee of Walter Sisulu University (040/2020) and the University of the Witwatersrand (M210211), South Africa. To the research team’s knowledge, this is the first study presenting the model of cancer delivery in South Africa’s Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga province. This will thus provide better understanding of cancer service delivery systems, packages of cancer care from primary care to quaternary care.

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Cancer Treatment in South Africa: A Narrative Literature Review

Cited by 9 publications

References 37 publications

A descriptive qualitative study of childhood cancer challenges in South Africa: Thematic analysis of 68 photovoice contributions

A descriptive qualitative study of childhood cancer challenges in South Africa: Thematic analysis of 68 photovoice contributions

Evidence-based feedback about emotional cancer challenges experienced in South Africa: A qualitative analysis of 316 photovoice interviews

Model of delivery of cancer care in South Africa’s Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga provinces: a situational analysis protocol

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