Novel predictors of survival among breast cancer patients with/without HIV in South Africa

Wits Health Consortium (Pty), Ltd, Johannesburg

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Abstract

Project Abstract This application is being submitted in response to the Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) identified as NOT-CA-23-038. In this research and mentoring application linked to our existing R01-funded South African Breast Cancer and HIV Outcomes (SABCHO) cohort study, Dr Witness Mapanga proposes to conduct a study to characterize and compare the sociodemographic, clinical, determinants of stage at diagnosis and overall survival among young women (less than 40 years old) with breast cancer (BC), with and without comorbid HIV. Dr Mapanga will also assess through in-depth interviews among 30 young women with BC with and without coexisting HIV, their knowledge and awareness of BC, experiences of their disease and its treatments, socioeconomical and mental health impacts and support needs at the Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital (CHBAH), in Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa (SA). Dr Mapanga is a young epidemiologist and public health researcher with experience in cancer and other noncommunicable diseases (NCD), based at the Strengthening Oncology Services Research Unit (SOSRU) of the University of Witwatersrand (Wits), Johannesburg, South Africa. His leadership, mentoring and grants acumen development, supported by South African and international mentoring group, would be an excellent investment for his independent career development in Southern African cancer research for decades to come. Having completed a PhD in Epidemiology and postdoctoral Fellowships, he is now ready to establish, lead and sustain his own research program and supervise embedded postgraduate students. Dr Mapanga together with his parent grant mentors, Dr Maureen Joffe (SA contact PI and primary mentor), Professor Dan O’Neil (Medical Oncologist co-I from Yale U, USA), and Professor Shane Norris (SA mentoring co-I), has developed the research proposal which aims to (i) characterize 480 young women (<40 years of age) with breast cancer from the SABCHO dataset, comparing the 59% HIV-positive and 41% HIV-negative cases on sociodemographic, clinical, and treatment factors and overall survival; (ii) compare determinants of the stage at diagnosis among them and iii) from in-depth interviews with 30 young women (<40 years) with BC (50% HIV- positive), assess their experiences and impact of BC and its treatments and support needs. To hone Witness’s supervision skills, he will include in the research, 3 young female cancer specialists at CHBAH who treat our SABCHO patients to develop manuscripts from research findings and upskill their research acumen. Findings will support strategies to reduce mortality from breast cancer among young women and reduce disparities to their early diagnosis and treatment in SA. Dr Mapanga will gain invaluable experience in independently leading the research project, supervising his mentees, and will receive skilled leadership, supervision, grantsmanship mentoring and research program development guidance to equip him to establish and lead his own independent research program within SOSRU.