Designing a Collaborative Breast Radiology Training Program to Tackle Tanzania's Breast Cancer Crisis

Toma S Omofoye; Timothy B Rooney; Ramapriya Ganti; Maitazvenyu Mvere; Natasha Iqbal; Balowa Musa; Frank J Minja

doi:10.1016/j.jacr.2024.02.033

Designing a Collaborative Breast Radiology Training Program to Tackle Tanzania's Breast Cancer Crisis

J Am Coll Radiol. 2024 Mar 8:S1546-1440(24)00277-1. doi: 10.1016/j.jacr.2024.02.033. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Toma S Omofoye¹, Timothy B Rooney², Ramapriya Ganti³, Maitazvenyu Mvere⁴, Natasha Iqbal⁵, Balowa Musa⁶, Frank J Minja⁷

Affiliations

¹ Strategic Director of Education, Department of Breast Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston Texas. Electronic address: TSOmofoye@mdanderson.org.
² Chief of Breast Imaging, Division of Breast Imaging, Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.
³ Division of Breast Imaging, Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia.
⁴ Women's Imaging Division, MIC Radiology Group, Harare, Zimbabwe.
⁵ Department of Breast Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.
⁶ Radiology and Imaging Department, School of Medicine, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
⁷ Associate Chief of Radiology, and Medical Director Diagnostic Imaging Hospital Service Line, Emory University School of Medicine, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/frankminja.

PMID: 38461915
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacr.2024.02.033

Abstract

Breast cancer incidence and mortality continue to increase in Africa. In Tanzania, breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death for women, and breast cancer incidence and mortality are projected to increase by 80% by 2030. Education gaps among health care workers, delayed presentation, limited screening, and low health literacy all pose significant challenges to providing optimal breast cancer care. Considering these factors, it is imperative to train expert breast radiologists. We present a collaborative breast radiology training program in Tanzania aimed at building local capacity to address national breast cancer challenges. Although cancer control in Africa faces many challenges, developing customized training programs for breast radiology, in conjunction with national cancer programs, may represent a key strategy for addressing breast cancer.

Keywords: Breast cancer; education; global health; global radiology; training.