ArticleEClinicalMedicine2023
Prevalence of locoregional recurrence and survival post-treatment of head and neck cancers in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Article in EClinicalMedicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- Clinical, humanistic and economic burden associated with recurrence among patients with early-stage cancers: a systematic literature review.Frontiers in oncology · 2025Pooled it
- Oral microbiome dynamics in head and neck cancer patients undergoing oral healthcare: implications for prognosis and early diagnosis.BMC microbiology · 2025Trial
- Article
- Real-world healthcare resource use and costs associated with the management of locally advanced head and neck cancer in Portugal - TRACE2 study.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Article
- Survival among medically insured and treated head and neck cancer patients with and without HIV in South Africa.HIV medicine · 2025Article
- Occupations and Risk of Head and Neck Cancers: A Case-Control Study in Tanzania.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2025Article
- The Prevalence and Incidence of Depression among Visually Impaired People: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocol.F1000Research · 2025Article
- Treatment initiation and completion among head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients in Tanzania.BMC research notes · 2024Article
- Article
- The prognosis and treatment of newly diagnosed bone metastasis of head and neck squamous cell cancer: an analysis of racial disparity.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Recurrent cancers of the head and neck are associated with poor survival outcome. Yet, their burden in Africa is not reliably known. We therefore aimed to estimate the prevalence of recurrence and the 5-year overall survival among patients treated for head and neck cancers (HNC) in Africa. Method: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched four electronic databases (Pubmed, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Web of Science) and the grey literature for studies reporting the prevalence of HNC recurrence and 5-year overall survival post treatment, published between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2022. We contacted corresponding authors of relevant studies. Searches were extended to reference lists of review articles and other relevant sources for potentially eligible studies. Each record was assessed for inclusion or exclusion by two independent reviewers. Records with individual-level data on recurrence and survival conducted in Africa were included while exclusion was based on the study design and availability of relevant data. Data were independently extracted by three reviewers from eligible studies, and summary estimates were sought. Our primary outcomes were recurrence and 5-year overall survival of patients who have been treated for HNC, and our secondary outcomes included risk factors, tumor site, squamous cell histology, clinical stage of tumor, and treatment options received. Only records selected for primary outcomes were assessed for secondary outcome data extraction. Random-effects meta-analysis was conducted for each outcome. Meta-regression models were used in addressing sample heterogeneity among the studies. Protocol for this study was registered with PROSPERO, CRD42022372307. Findings: This systematic review and meta-analysis returned 3998 records, yielding 28 included studies after exclusion. Eighteen studies reported on the prevalence of HNC recurrence while 24 articles reported on the 5-year overall survival. Of the pooled total study population, 7199 (70.5%) of 10,218 patients were males while 2603 (25.5%) were females. We found that the prevalence of HNC recurrence was 15.4% (I Interpretation: The results showed significantly high prevalence of cancer recurrence, poor 5-year overall survival and very high prevalence of advanced cancers at time of diagnosis. This study provides robust evidence for strategies towards prompt diagnosis and appropriate management of HNC to improve patients' outcome in the African continent. Funding: This study was not supported by any funding.
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