Africa: A window on challenges and opportunities for head and neck cancer

BACKGROUND: Head and neck cancer occurs predominantly in the Developing World, with significant challenges relating to a high burden of disease, late presentation, and poor access to curative and palliative care. AIMS: This article describes challenges relating to head and neck cancer care in Sub‐Saharan Africa. MATERIAL & METHODS: Educational and training innovations that have been undertaken to improve access to cancer care are presented under the following headings: Open Access Educational Resources African Head and Neck Society (AfHNS); African head and neck surgery fellowship training; AfHNS Virtual Tumor Board; The AfHNS Clinical Practice Guidelines for Head & Neck Cancers in Developing Countries and Limited Resource Settings. Concerns are also raised about universally applicable cancer staging systems. RESULTS: The challenges facing African patients apply to equally to many other parts of the developing world. DISCUSSION: The challenges facing African patients apply to equally to many other parts of the developing world. CONCLUSIONS: For outcomes of head and neck cancers to be improved globally, a far greater investment needs to be made in education and training to improve access to care in developing countries. To make a meaningful global impact on morbidity and mortality related to HNC, clinicians, academic institutions and professional societies in developed countries need to be sensitive to these developing world challenges and should directly engage in improving access to care through promoting open access educational resources, offering specialist and fellowship training, collaborating with appropriate research, and establishing and strengthening centers of excellence in developing countries. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 2c “Outcomes research”.