"The global burden of cancer is considerable. The majority of cancer cases and more than 70% of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries. Based on current population trends, global cancer mortality is expected to double by the year 2030. The problem is magnified in Botswana, which has the second highest infection rate of AIDS/HIV in the world. As HIV patients are beginning to live longer with effective therapy, healthcare providers are seeing a surge of cancer cases. More than 40% of new cancer cases in Botswana are due to HIV."
NEWS
Bruce Chabner, MD and Aparna Parikh, MD, Co-Directors, Program for Enhanced Training in Cancer (POETIC), hosted a special reception in celebration of the Program for Enhanced Training in Cancer (POETIC) on Thursday, May 8th at the Paul S. Russell, MD Museum of Medical History and Innovation at MGH. The POETIC fellowship exchange program, conducted in collaboration with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Cancer Center and Lowell Schnipper, MD, trains clinical oncology fellows from the University of Cape Town in South Africa and Ocean Road Cancer Center in Tanzania. Over $40,000 was raised to support these highly qualified physicians to further develop their clinical oncology skills. Read more about POETIC and support its work here.EVENTS
Tumor Board: The next BOTSOGO Tumor Board will be held on Tuesday, November 26th at 10 am ET / 5 pm CAT. We will hear updates on the Vaginal Dilator Program. Female patients who have received radiation for vaginal cancers are empowered to use dilators to treat vaginal stenosis, a frequent side effect. This program resulted from a 2016 Tumor Board and has been very successful in Botswana, with high patient adherence rates reported! Please join us! MGH location: Cox 6 Conference Room; Francistown location: Nyangabgwe Referral Hospital, Conference Room, Admin Block 1st Floor; Gaborone location: Botswana-Harvard AIDS Institute, PMH grounds, Conference Room, Ground Floor. All are welcome. Please email BOTSOGO@partners.org to be added to our mailing list.Training & Care
Supporting the development of clinical capacity through training and direct patient care a full-time MGH oncologist and regular rotation of senior clinicians.Tumour Board
Participatory internet-based conferences including several sites in Botswana and the US focused on care of current patients in Botswana.Research
Conducting rigorous research to inform the advancement of oncology and HIV care in Botswana and the region.About BOTSOGO
The BOTSwana Oncology Global Outreach program (BOTSOGO) works to improve access to quality cancer care in Botswana through a growing collaboration between physicians and other healthcare professionals in Boston and in Botswana. BOTSOGO, which means “health” in Botswana’s primary language, connects Mass General Cancer Center, the Botswana Harvard AIDS Institute Partnership, Botswana’s cancer caregivers and the Botswana government. The group’s ultimate goal is to improve access to quality cancer care in Botswana by educating the Botswana population, training future generations of cancer caregivers and conducting vital clinical research.