Radiotherapy in cancer management at Mulago Hospital, Kampala, Uganda

Five hundred and seven cancer patients who received radiotherapy using the newly upgraded facilities at the Mulago Hospital over a 16 month period following the inception of the services are reviewed. Previously available facilities had been limited to teletherapy using only a 300 KV orthovoltage X-ray machine which had proved inadequate to cope with the current needs at the department. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna recently upgraded the available services through the provision of facilities for cobalt-60 teletherapy, brachytherapy and computerised treatment planning and dosimetry as well as providing training for all cadres of the radiotherapy department. We review the impact of this new service on the referral pattern and types of patients who received radiotherapy since inception. Over 60% of all the patients were women who presented with carcinoma of the cervix and breast. Apart from the apparent increase in cases of cervical carcinoma, the current AIDS pandemic in Uganda did not appear to reflect any increase in the incidence of other AIDS-related cancers such as Kaposi's sarcoma and non-Hodgkins lymphomas treated at the department. The need for more patients and earlier referrals to the department is stressed in order to maximise the use of the improved radiotherapy services.