Impact of 10-Day Fulbright Specialist Program and Project Pink Blue Education Sessions on Medical Oncology Knowledge Among Physicians Who Treat Cancer in Nigeria

Abstract

Despite an estimated population of over 201 million and over 115,950 yearly diagnosed new cases of cancer, Nigeria does not have dedicated medical oncologists. Most oncology care is delivered through surgical and clinical oncologists, who are trained in both radiation and medical oncology and they number fewer than 50 in the country. With a limited number of oncology professionals, cancer patients in Nigeria experience poor health outcomes, with an estimated cancer mortality rate of 75,000 deaths per year. Participants from 15 Nigerian states were selected to attend the medical oncology training. Through the support of Fulbright Specialist Program and Project PINK BLUE, two of the authors delivered 10 days of lectures based on ASCO, ESMO, and NCCN guidelines. Mean scores of both the pre- and post-course tests as well as a 1-year follow-up test were compared using GraphPad Prism 7.0a by paired t-tests. Forty-four clinical oncologists were selected for participation. Twenty-five (57%) completed the pre- and post-course tests. Of the 25 that completed both tests, percentage of correct answers increased from 45 to 59% (2-sided p-value < 0.0001). Improvements were seen in attending doctors 45 to 59% (p = 0.0046) and resident doctors 45 to 59% (0.0007). Eleven doctors responded to the 1-year follow-up test. Although not statistically significant, a numerical pattern for the benefits was maintained 1 year after the program (45% pre-course versus 52% post-course correct answers, Fisher’s exact, p = 0.4185). In the short term, the training improved medical oncology knowledge in Nigeria, regardless of the participant’s carrier stage. Long-term benefits were not sustained in a small sample of participants, and continuing education strategies are necessary. Similar models may be employed across Africa.