Skip to main content

Award-Winning Artist, UNC Physician Partner to Raise Over $154,700 for Pediatric Cancer in Malawi

June 28, 2019
  Mark Robinson visits with a therapy dog at UNC Hospitals. Grammy-nominated musician, record producer, and Chapel Hill native Porter Robinson first met pediatric oncologist Dr. Kate Westmoreland in November 2016, when Porter’s younger brother Mark came into Dr. Westmoreland’s care at UNC Hospitals. Three years later, they have raised...

Translation, Psychometric Validation, and Baseline Results of the PROMIS-25 measures

June 10, 2018
June 2018- Efforts to translate and culturally validate patient-reported health-related quality of life measures are scarce in SSA are scarce. This study translates the PROMIS-25 to Chichewa and assesses its validity and reliability in our setting.

From the Ground Up: The State of Cancer Care in Malawi

August 24, 2017
“The only way to make these programs work is to be on the ground, actively partnering, identifying research priorities, identifying the most promising young clinicians and investigators and helping them propel their careers forward.”

Epstein-Barr virus DNA for pediatric Burkitt lymphoma diagnosis

April 3, 2017
March 2017 – Diagnosing pediatric Burkitt Lymphoma in sub-Saharan Africa is difficult, as many tools are currently not available. This study found that measuring Epstein-Barr virus DNA could help with setting the diagnosis, prognosis, and predicting the response.

Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma During Pregnancy

March 17, 2017
February 2017 – A 26-year-old woman in Malawi presented with classical Hodgkin lymphoma, while she was pregnant. This case report describes the treatment that cured her and allowed for the delivery of a healthy daughter.

Kaposi’s sarcoma in Malawi: a continued problem for HIV-positive and HIV-negative individuals

January 14, 2017
January 2017- Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is the leading cancer in much of sub-Saharan Africa. HIV has resulted in a dramatic increase in KS throughout the region, due to high overlapping prevalence of HIV and the etiologic agent of KS, Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus. We sought to describe contemporary burden and characteristics of...

A framework for improving early detection of breast cancer in sub-Saharan Africa

January 1, 2017
January 2017 – Many women in sub-Saharan Africa are diagnosed with advanced-stage breast cancer. This study explores Malawian breast cancer patients’ perspectives regarding their diagnosis and ability to access care.

Impact of loss to follow-up on pediatric lymphoma study outcome

December 13, 2016
November 2016 – Limited follow-up with incomplete retention is common among studies involving pediatric lymphoma patients in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines the effects of retention and follow-up times on overall survival estimates.

Environmental Risk Factors for Oesophageal Cancer

September 29, 2015
September 2015 – Exploring environmental factors associated with oesophageal cancer in Malawi, Firewood cooking, cigarette smoking, and use of white maize flour all had strong associations with squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus.

High Rates of Cervical Cancer Among HIV-Infected Women in Malawi

May 21, 2015
May 2015 – Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women in Malawi. Using pathological specimens from 630 Malawian, this study examines associations between various pathological findings and the presence of high-grade dysplasia.