Role of Reconstructive Surgery in Management of Cancer: Current State and Practice in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

The primary role of reconstructive surgery in the treatment of cancer patients is to extend the ability of the surgeon to provide better prognosis and improve survival. This is particularly important in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) where patients often present with extensive and late stage cancer. With reconstructive surgery, such patients are offered the best opportunity for cure and better quality of life. In SSA, women subjected to mastectomy suffer some degree of emotional setback that results from loss of the breast and unfortunately, reconstructive surgery after mastectomy is not practised routinely. Interdisciplinary set ups are desired where the experts put their heads together to design the treatment that will best suit the patient in most forms of cancer.

Appropriate imaging is essential to ensure complete tumour excision which is a prerequisite for definitive reconstruction. However, thorough imaging is defective in many centres due to lack of equipment. The surgeon is therefore often guided by experience and necessary tissue sampling. In conclusion, the important future role of reconstruction in cancer therapy will be enhanced by public health education, governmental and institutional policies to enable acquisition of equipment necessary for reconstruction and training of other health care providers to boost the efforts of the specialists in that field.