A scoping review exploring cancer survivorship in Africa: 2011 to 2024

The scope of cancer survivorship in Africa remains largely unexplored. This scoping review aims to describe current survivorship-related factors and care delivery characteristics in Africa, and to provide insights that can inform a more systematic integration of survivorship care into the broader cancer care continuum.

Four databases (PubMed, Embase, Web of Science: Core, CINAHL Plus) were searched for journal articles and grey literature published from 2011 to August 2024 in English. Articles were included if they focused on post-treatment care for African cancer survivors. Covidence® was utilised for screening and data collection. Microsoft Excel was used for data cleaning and analysis.

A total of 9417 articles were screened and 181 included. The number of studies per year grew from 6 (2011) to 32 (2023). These comprised 71 conference abstracts and 110 journal articles conducted in 19 African countries. The study methodologies utilised include 97 quantitative, 42 qualitative, 25 programme descriptions, and 18 mixed methods. Childhood survivorship was the focus for 40 studies. Psychosocial effects of cancer and its treatment were discussed in 104 studies.

Interest in post-treatment cancer survivorship and related care is increasing across Africa. While significant research has explored the physical and psychosocial effects of cancer, there remains a critical need for studies focused on care coordination, targeted interventions, and strategies to improve quality-of-life outcomes for survivors.

The overall scope of post-treatment cancer survivorship care in Africa primarily centres on psychosocial outcomes, with limited emphasis on care coordination. This underscores the need for further research and the development of context-relevant, feasible, and integrated care models within African health systems.