Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41338619›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2025

Treatment patterns, care delays and outcomes in advanced cervical cancer: study protocol for a mixed retrospective and prospective single-centre cohort in South Africa.

Okechinyere Achilonu, Oluwatosin Ayeni, Mariam Adeleke, Daniel Mmereki, Himal Mistry, Sydnie Swanson, Wenlong Carl Chen, Mwiza Singini, Maureen Joffe, Surbhi Grover and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Okechinyere AchilonuEpidemiology and Biostatistics, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg Faculty of Health Sciences, Johannesburg, GP, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2911-0011
Oluwatosin AyeniRadiation Oncology, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg Faculty of Health Sciences, Johannesburg, GP, South Africa.
Mariam AdelekeDepartment of Statistical Science, University College London, London, UK.
Daniel MmerekiRadiation Oncology, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg Faculty of Health Sciences, Johannesburg, South Africa.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4898-8754
Himal MistryDepartment of Radiation Services, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg Faculty of Health Sciences, Johannesburg, GP, South Africa.
Sydnie SwansonDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
Wenlong Carl ChenSydney Brenner Institute for Molecular Bioscience, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg Faculty of Health Sciences, Johannesburg, GP, South Africa.
Mwiza SinginiAgincourt, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg Faculty of Health Sciences, Johannesburg, GP, South Africa.
Maureen JoffeUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg Faculty of Health Sciences, Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa.
Surbhi GroverDepartment of Radiation Oncology, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
Duvern RamiahRadiation Oncology Medical Physics, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg Faculty of Health Sciences, Johannesburg, GP, South Africa duvern.ramiah@wits.ac.za.

Funding

Novel predictors of survival among breast cancer patients with/without HIV in South AfricaR01CA250012 · NCI · WITS HEALTH CONSORTIUM (PTY), LTD · PI CUBASCH, HERBERT, EL-SADR, WAFAA M. · 2020 to 2024
$2.0M
HIV's Effects on Breast Cancer Treatment and Outcomes in South AfricaR01CA192627 · NCI · WITS HEALTH CONSORTIUM (PTY), LTD · PI JACOBSON, JUDITH S, JOFFE, MAUREEN · 2015 to 2019
$1.7M
NCI NIH HHS R01 CA192627NCI NIH HHS R01 CA250012Wellcome Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionCervical cancer (CaCx) is a leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women in South Africa, often presenting at advanced stages and requiring chemoradiotherapy. In South Africa, the burden is disproportionately high among women living with HIV, with limited access to radiotherapy further compounding treatment challenges. Despite this documented disparity, limited data exist on patients in a South African context. This protocol describes the research methodology to assess patterns of care, treatment delays, interruptions and survival outcomes in patients with advanced CaCx, addressing an urgent need for local data in low-income and middle-income countries to provide evidence-based improvements in care. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The Cervical Cancer Cohort at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital (CMJAH-CCC), initiated in 2023, is a mixed retrospective and prospective single-centre study investigating the characteristics, challenges and outcomes of patients with advanced CaCx. It includes women aged ≥18 years with a histopathological diagnosis of stage IB3-IVA CaCx treated at CMJAH Radiation Oncology. The retrospective component covers data from September 2018 to August 2023. Data collection is complete and the team is currently conducting quality control. The prospective component began in October 2023 and aims to enrol participants over 2 years, with follow-up for up to 3 years. The study is ongoing, and an extension for continued enrolment beyond September 2025 is being sought. Participants provide baseline data on demographics, socioeconomic status, cultural influences and healthcare access, with updates every 3 months. When necessary, the next of kin provides follow-up information. The study aims to inform strategies to improve outcomes and reduce the CaCx burden in South Africa. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval for this study was obtained from the Human Research Ethics Committee (Medical) at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, with an ethical clearance certificate (MM221001 MED22-09-085). The results will be widely distributed through presentations at national and international conferences and published in peer-reviewed open-access journals, ensuring wide access to the results.

Indexed as

Time-to-TreatmentUterine Cervical NeoplasmsAdultFemaleHealth Services AccessibilityHumansMiddle AgedNeoplasm StagingProspective StudiesResearch DesignRetrospective StudiesSouth AfricaTreatment OutcomeAfrica South of the SaharaCHEMOTHERAPYPatientsPrimary Health CareUterine Cervical Neoplasms

Identifiers

PMID41338619
PMCPMC12682174

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.