Journal of the American College of Surgeons
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The vast majority of women with breast cancer in sub-Saharan Africa present with advanced stage disease, due primarily to the lack of opportunities for early detection and treatment. As part of a larger effort to increase access to diagnostic and therapeutic services for women's cancers in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), we implemented a curriculum to train the local workforce and a program to build the supportive infrastructure for the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer at a private sector health facility (Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital) in Kinshasa. ⋯ We demonstrated how the "ability to look" using smart technology can be successfully used to augment clinical breast exam and triage patients for biopsy in a resource-constrained African setting.
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Imbalance of oxidants/antioxidants results in heart failure, contributing to mortality after burn injury. Cardiac mitochondria are a prime source of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and a mitochondrial-specific antioxidant may improve burn-induced cardiomyopathy. We hypothesize that the mitochondrial-specific antioxidant, Triphenylphosphonium chloride (Mito-TEMPO), could protect cardiac function after burn. ⋯ Mito-TEMPO reversed burn-induced cardiac dysfunction by rescuing cardiac mitochondrial dysfunction. Mitochondria-targeted antioxidants may be an effective therapy for burn-induced cardiac dysfunction.