Faculty of Health Sciences
School of Medicine
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology
Selected Highlights from Research Findings
In this on-going descriptive study, we vaccinate primary school girls against the viruses causing cervical cancer. At the same time the girls and their female guardians are informed about the disease and its causes and preventative measures. Mothers are invited to participate in a cervical cancer screening activity. We measure the programmatic issues as well as the effectiveness of the information given and the screening option. For the latter, the uptake is measured as well as the prevalence of disease and the effectiveness of the system to end up with treatment of the cervical disease as endpoint. Preliminary data shows a high uptake of the vaccine and screening options, a higher than expected prevalence of disease and effective communication of test results to the female guaradians. The importance of this study is that it demonstrates effective teenage vaccination on a school based model. In the second place we are demonstrating that the school health system can be used to reach unscreened female members of society. This screening option has a high uptake and delivers results effectively to screened patients.
Contact person: Prof G Dreyer.
This audit study demonstrated the anaemia is a major contributing comorbidity in women with cervical cancer and HIV disease. Anaemia and resultant blood transfusions lead to treatment interruptions and sub-optimal radiation treatment in this sub-population. This study confirmed the occurrence of cervical cancer at a much younget age in women with HIV infection. In addition a poor short term outcome was demonstrated for both the HIV positive and HIV negative groups probably due to late stage at diagnosis and to co-morbid disease.
Contact person: Prof G Dreyer.
In collaboration with the Norchip company and University of Oslo, Norway, we confirmed the carcinogenic HPV type in >200 cervical cancer specimens from Tshwane region. The specimens were tested using HPV DNA and HPV RNA based technology leading to very accurate and reliable results. The results confirm the population and regional differences in HPV carcinotypes. HPV types 35 and 45 are the two most important types following the vaccine prevented types 16 and 18 in this cohort of women.
Contact person: Prof G Dreyer.
This comprehensive study involved mutation analysis of the PTEN (tumor suppressor) gene in various malignant, premalignant and benign tumors of the upper genital tract. Pathogenic mutations were found in many premalignant and maglignant endometrial tumors and mutiple mutations were more common in late stage tumors. The lower frequency pf PTEN mutations in African women confirms the racial disparity in tumor type distribution and morphology. The results confirm that the PTEN gene is intimately in the carcinogenesis of endometrial carcinoma and sometimes involved in carcinosarcoma of the uterine body
Contact person: Prof G Dreyer.
In this on-going descriptive study, we vaccinate primary school girls against the viruses causing cervical cancer. At the same time the girls and their female guardians are informed about the disease and its causes and preventative measures. Mothers are invited to participate in a cervical cancer screening activity. We measure the programmatic issues as well as the effectiveness of the information given and the screening option. For the latter, the uptake is measured as well as the prevalence of disease and the effectiveness of the system to end up with treatment of the cervical disease as endpoint. Preliminary data shows a high uptake of the vaccine and screening options, a higher than expected prevalence of disease and effective communication of test results to the female guaradians. The importance of this study is that it demonstrates effective teenage vaccination on a school based model. In the second place we are demonstrating that the school health system can be used to reach unscreened female members of society. This screening option has a high uptake and delivers results effectively to screened patients.
Contact person: Dr LC Snyman.
This audit study demonstrated the anaemia is a major contributing comorbidity in women with cervical cancer and HIV disease. Anaemia and resultant blood transfusions lead to treatment interruptions and sub-optimal radiation treatment in this sub-population. This study confirmed the occurrence of cervical cancer at a much younget age in women with HIV infection. In addition a poor short term outcome was demonstrated for both the HIV positive and HIV negative groups probably due to late stage at diagnosis and to co-morbid disease.
Contact person: Dr LC Snyman.
In thie screeinin study performed on women in a urban and peri-urban environment, both traditional "pap" screening and molecular screening were done. We managed to update information on cervical cytological abnormalities and on HPV type distribution. These data are region and population specific and of utmost importance to design cervical cancer control programmes. Data from this study will be used to determine the new cervical cancer screening test of choice and policy for South Africa. In addition this is the first large study to demonstrate equality between self-collected and health care worker collected molecular tests in South Africa.
Contact person: Prof G Dreyer.
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