Table 2. Summary of cancer care services availability in Lubango, Angola, and in Mindelo, Cape Verde, per GONCO assessment in 2022.
| HCL - Lubango, Angola | HBS - Mindelo, Cape Verde | |
|---|---|---|
| Local team assigned to work with GONCO | Team Leader: Clinical Director of HCL Team Members: three oncology nurses, two general surgery residents, one coordinator of the regional cancer registry |
Team Leader: Clinical Director of HBS Team Members: one oncology nurse, two general surgeons, one coordinator of the regional cancer registry |
| Type of health facility | Tertiary level hospital | Tertiary level hospital |
| Population served | 3,282,968 | 75,845 people |
| Estimated number of cancer patients evaluated in the hospital/year | 480 | 100 |
| Organised population-based cancer screening programs | No - Opportunistic screening for cervical (cytology) and breast cancer (mammography) | Yes – cervical (cytology) and breast cancer (mammography) |
| Cancer registry | Regional population-based registry - started in 2022 (data contributed to Globocan 2022 (version 1.1) - 08.02.2024[21]) | Regional population-based registry started in January 2022 |
| Research unit / department | No | No |
| Oncology unit open and functional | No (planned to open in 2022) | Yes (since 2008) |
| Diagnosis and staging (routinely available) | Histopathology, no IHQ available X-ray, mammogram, US, CT scan (contrast use limited), MRI (limited) |
Histopathology, no IHQ available X-ray, mammogram, US, CT scan (contrast use limited), no MRI available |
| Cancer management modalities (routinely available) | Surgery (surgical oncology available) No systemic treatment No radiotherapy No palliative care |
Surgery (surgical oncology limited) Hormonotherapy and some oral chemotherapy, upon first evaluation and prescription in the Oncology unit of HAN, Praia No radiotherapy No palliative care |
| Organised MTB | No | No |
| CSO involved in cancer advocacy | Yes – Bolsa Solidária, based in Lubango | Yes – Cape Verdean league against cancer, based in Mindelo |
CSO – civil society organisation; CT – computed tomography; HAN – Hospital Agostinho Neto; HBS – Hospital Dr. Batista de Sousa; HCL – Hospital Central do Lubango; IHQ – immunohistochemistry; MRI – magnetic resonance imaging; MTB – multidisciplinary tumour board; US – ultrasound