Prostate Cancer Disease Characteristics at the Time of Diagnosis and Initial Treatment Offered in a Tertiary Hospital at Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso)

Objectives: to describe the characteristics of newly diagnosed prostate cancer (PCa) and the initial treatments offered to patients in the most important urological center of Burkina Faso. Methods: We analyzed the data of a cohort of 168 consecutive patients with no prior history of PCa between January 2009 and December 2012. Diagnosis of PCa was based on histological analysis of transrectal prostate biopsies. Patient and disease characteristics and the initial treatment offered were taken in account. Results: The mean age at presentation was 68.59 ± 9.41 years (range 30 to 95 years). There was a 3.6-fold increase in the incidence of PCa through the four years of the study. The mean duration of symptoms prior to presentation was 11.6 ± 10.9 months. The majority of cases (86.9%) were presented as locally advanced or metastatic disease. Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) was the first therapeutic option for 121 patients (72%) and 73 patients (43.4%) underwent ADT through bilateral orchiectomy. Only 3 patients (1.78%) underwent radical prostatectomy. Conclusion: An increase in the diagnosis of PCa in our country was observed in this study. The diagnosis of prostate cancer was usually tardive in Burkina Faso. Treatment often involves surgical ADT for socioeconomic reasons.

Anaemia in Pregnancy in an African Setting after Preventive Measures

Background: Anaemia in pregnancy is a public health issue in developing countries because of its high prevalence and its maternal and perinatal bad outcomes. It affects 24.8% of the world population and 67.6% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa. In Burkina Faso, anaemia prevalence is estimated at 68.3%. In Burkina, preventive measures for anaemia in pregnancy have been implemented by the ministry of health to reduce its burden. This study aimed to assess the epidemiological, clinical and the outcomes of anaemia in pregnant women at OUAHIGOUYA REGIONAL HOSPITAL. Findings will be used to strengthen the preventives measures for anaemia in pregnancy. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive and analytical study was conducted during a four-month period from October, 28th, 2014 to February, 28th, 2015. pregnant women with haemoglobin level below 11 g/dL was considered anaemic according to WHO criteria, and who are willing to participate and who were admitted at the obstetrics and Gynecology department of the REGIONAL HOSPITAL of OUAHIGOUYA. Results: Four hundred eighty three pregnant women were anaemic out of eight hundred eighty three women hospitalized. The prevalence of maternal anaemia was 54.7% with significant monthly variations. The mean age was 24.7 ± 6.6 years. The women without non-salary occupation (housewives and pupils) represented 90.1%. A past medical history of haemoglobin defects (6.6%), twin pregnancies (6.0%), malaria (23.6%) bleeding during pregnancy (20.3%) were the most frequent. Monitoring the pregnancy was effective in 91.1% of women. The mean haemoglobin level was 8.8 ± 2.1 g/dL. The outcome was marked with 1.7% and 18.9% maternal and perinatal death respectively. The most common contributory factors were: Occupational status, number of prenatal visits, length of treatment with iron and folic acid, history of malaria, history of haemorrhage and brachial perimeter low (p 0.05). Conclusion: Maternal anaemia is a major health issue at the OUAHIGOUYA REGIONAL HOSPITAL in Northern Burkina Faso. Maternal and perinatal outcomes could be improved by reinforcing the preventive measures but also by improving the nutritional status and the living conditions of pregnant women.