Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a major cause of cancer morbidity and mortality in Eastern Africa. The majority of patients with ESCC in Eastern Africa present with advanced disease at the time of diagnosis. | Buckle et al. BMC Cancer 2022 22 82 https s12885-021-09124-5 STUDY PROTOCOL Open Access Treatment outcomes of esophageal cancer in Eastern Africa protocol of a multi-center prospective observational open cohort study Geoffrey C. Buckle1 Alita Mrema2 Michael Mwachiro3 Yona Ringo4 Msiba Selekwa5 Gift Mulima6 Fatma F. Some7 Blandina T. Mmbaga8 9 Gita N. Mody10 Li Zhang1 Alan Paciorek1 Larry Akoko5 Paul Ayuo7 Stephen Burgert3 Elizabeth Bukusi11 Anthony Charles10 Winnie Chepkemoi3 Gladys Chesumbai7 Bongani Kaimila12 Aida Kenseko13 Kitembo Salum Kibwana4 David Koech13 Caren Macharia3 Ezekiel N. Moirana14 Beatrice Paul Mushi5 Alex Mremi8 Julius Mwaiselage2 Ally Mwanga5 Jerry Ndumbalo2 Gissela Nvakunga8 Mamsau Ngoma2 Margaret Oduor7 Mark Oloo13 Jesse Opakas13 Robert Parker3 15 Saruni Seno13 Ande Salima12 Furaha Servent8 Andrew Wandera7 Kate D. Westmoreland10 12 Russell E. White3 15 Brittney Williams10 Elia J. Mmbaga5 Katherine Van Loon1 and of the African Esophageal Cancer Consortium AfrECC Abstract Background Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma ESCC is a major cause of cancer morbidity and mortality in Eastern Africa. The majority of patients with ESCC in Eastern Africa present with advanced disease at the time of diag- nosis. Several palliative interventions for ESCC are currently in use within the region including chemotherapy radia- tion therapy with and without chemotherapy and esophageal stenting with self-expandable metallic stents however the comparative effectiveness of these interventions in a low resource setting has yet to be examined. Methods This prospective observational multi-center open cohort study aims to describe the therapeutic land- scape of ESCC in Eastern Africa and investigate the outcomes of different treatment strategies within the region. The study will recruit at a total of six sites in Kenya Malawi and Tanzania Ocean Road Cancer Institute and Muhimbili National Hospital in Dar es Salaam Tanzania Kilimanjaro Christian .
