Browsing by Author "Okyne, V."
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Item Effective Project Management of a Pan-African Cancer Research Network: Men of African Descent and Carcinoma of the Prostate (MADCaP)(Journal of Global Oncology, 2018-09) Odiaka, E.; Lounsbury, D.W.; Jalloh, M.; Adusei, B.; Diallo, T.A.; Kane, P.M.S.; Rockson, I.; Okyne, V.; Irusen, H.; Pentz, A.; Makinde, I.et.al.Purpose Health research in low- and middle-income countries can generate novel scientific knowledge and improve clinical care, fostering population health improvements to prevent premature death. Project management is a critical part of the success of this research, applying knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to accomplish required goals. Here, we describe the development and implementation of tools to support a multifaceted study of prostate cancer in Africa, focusing on building strategic and operational capacity. Methods Applying a learning organizational framework, we developed and implemented a project management toolkit (PMT) that includes a management process flowchart, a cyclical center-specific schedule of activities, periodic reporting and communication, and center-specific monitoring and evaluation metrics. Results The PMT was successfully deployed during year one of the project with effective component implementation occurring through periodic cycles of dissemination and feedback to local center project managers. A specific evaluation was conducted 1 year after study initiation to obtain enrollment data, evaluate individual quality control management plans, and undertake risk log assessments and follow-up. Pilot data obtained identified areas in which centers required mentoring, strengthening, and capacity development. Strategies were implemented to improve project goals and operational capacity through local problem solving, conducting quality control checks and following compliancy with study aims. Moving forward, centers will perform quarterly evaluations and initiate strengthening measures as required. Conclusion The PMT has fostered the development of both strategic and operational capacity across project centers. Investment in project management resources is essential to ensuring high-quality, impactful health research in low- and middle-income countries.Item Overall and abdominal obesity and prostate cancer risk in a West African population: An analysis of the Ghana Prostate Study(International Journal of Cancer, 2020-03-11) Yeboah, E.D.; Hurwitz, L.M.; Biritwum, R.B.; Tettey, Y.; Adjei, A.A.; Mensah, J.E.; Tay, E.; Okyne, V.; Truelove, A.; Kelly, S.P.; Zhou, C.K.; Butler, E.N.; Hoover, R.N.; Hsing, A.W.; Cook, M.B.Obesity has been associated with an increased risk of advanced prostate cancer. However, most studies have been conducted among North American and European populations. Prostate cancer mortality appears elevated in West Africa, yet risk factors for prostate cancer in this region are unknown. We thus examined the relationship between obesity and prostate cancer using a case-control study conducted in Accra, Ghana in 2004 to 2012. Cases and controls were drawn from a populationbased sample of 1037 men screened for prostate cancer, yielding 73 cases and 964 controls. An additional 493 incident cases were recruited from the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Anthropometric measurements were taken at enrollment. We used logistic regression to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for associations between body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-hip ratio (WHR) and prostate cancer, adjusting for potential confounders. The mean BMI was 25.1 kg/m2 for cases and 24.3 kg/m2 for controls. After adjustment, men with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 had an increased risk of prostate cancer relative to men with BMI < 25 kg/m2 (OR 1.86, 95% CI 1.11-3.13). Elevated WC (OR 1.76, 95% CI 1.24-2.51) and WHR (OR 1.46, 95% CI 0.99-2.16) were also associated with prostate cancer. Associations were not modified by smoking status and were evident for low- and high-grade disease. These findings indicate that overall and abdominal obesity are positively associated with prostate cancer among men in Ghana, implicating obesity as a potentially modifiable risk factor for prostate cancer in this region.Item Overall and central obesity and prostate cancer risk in African men(Springer, 2021) Agalliu, I.; Lin, W.J.; Zhang, J.S.; Jacobson, J.S.; Rohan, T.E.; Adusei, B.; Snyper, N.Y.F.; Andrews, C.; Sidahmed, E.; Mensah, J.E.; Biritwum, R.; Adjei, A.A.; Okyne, V.; Ainuson‑Quampah, J.; Fernandez, P.; Irusen, H.; Odiaka, E.; Folasire, O.F.; Ifeoluwa, M.G.; Aisuodionoe‑Shadrach, O.I.; Nwegbu, M.M.; Pentz, A.; Chen, W.C.; Jofe, M.; Neugut, A.I.; Diallo, T.A.; Jalloh, M.; Rebbeck, T.R.; Adebiyi, A.O.; Hsing, A.W.Purpose African men are disproportionately affected by prostate cancer (PCa). Given the increasing prevalence of obesity in Africa, and its association with aggressive PCa in other populations, we examined the relationship of overall and central obesity with risks of total and aggressive PCa among African men. Methods Between 2016 and 2020, we recruited 2,200 PCa cases and 1,985 age-matched controls into a multi-center, hospital-based case–control study in Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, and South Africa. Participants completed an epidemiologic questionnaire, and anthropometric factors were measured at clinic visit. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine associations of overall and central obesity with PCa risk, measured by body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), respectively. Results Among controls 16.4% were obese (BMI≥30 kg/m2 ), 26% and 90% had WC>97 cm and WHR>0.9, respectively. Cases with aggressive PCa had lower BMI/obesity in comparison to both controls and cases with less aggressive PCa, suggesting weight loss related to cancer. Overall obesity (odds ratio: OR = 1.38, 95% CI 0.99–1.93), and central obesity (WC>97 cm: OR = 1.60, 95% CI 1.10–2.33; and WHtR>0.59: OR = 1.68, 95% CI 1.24–2.29) were positively associated with D’Amico intermediate-risk PCa, but not with risks of total or high-risk PCa. Associations were more pronounced in West versus South Africa, but these differences were not statistically significant. Discussion The high prevalence of overall and central obesity in African men and their association with intermediate-risk PCa represent an emerging public health concern in Africa. Large cohort studies are needed to better clarify the role of obesity and PCa in various African populations.Item Usual adult occupation and risk of prostate cancer in West African men: the Ghana Prostate Study(Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 2019-02) Adler, C.; Friesen, M.C.; Yeboah, E.D.; Tettey, Y.; Biritwum, R.B.; Adjei, A.A.; Tay, E.; Okyne, V.; Mensah, J.E.; Truelove, A.et.al.OBJECTIVES: Established prostate cancer (PCa) risk factors include age, family history of PCa and African ancestry. Studies, mostly among highly screened, predominantly European ancestral populations, suggest that employment in certain occupations (eg, farming, military) may also have an increased risk for PCa. Here, we evaluated the association between usual adult occupation and PCa risk in Ghanaian men, a population with historically low rates of PCa screening. METHODS: The Ghana Prostate Study is a case-control study of PCa that was conducted from 2004 to 2012 in 749 cases and 964 controls. In-person interviews were conducted to collect information from participants, including longest held job. Industrial hygienists classified job titles into occupational categories. Unconditional logistic regression was used to calculate ORs and 95% CIs for the association between longest held job and PCa risk (overall, aggressive (Gleason≥7)), controlling for potential confounders. RESULTS: Risk was increased among men in management (overall PCa OR=2.2, 95% CI 1.4 to 3.2; aggressive PCa OR=2.2, 95% CI 1.3 to 3.5) and military occupations (overall PCa OR=3.4, 95% CI 1.7 to 7.0; aggressive PCa OR=3.5, 95% CI 1.5 to 8.3). Risks were also elevated for management and military-specific jobs based on 3-digit level Standard Occupational Classification definitions. Sensitivity analyses accounting for access to medical care did not show significant differences. CONCLUSIONS: Our study provides some evidence for increased risk of PCa among men in management and military occupations, which is consistent with the published literature. Additional research is needed to clarify the drivers of the associations between these occupations and PCa.