# Tanzania AIDS Malignancies Training and Research International Program (TAMTRP)

> **NIH NIH D43** · LSU HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER · 2022 · $99,992

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Despite the highest Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) burden in the world, treatment outcome data is scarce in sub-
Saharan Africa (SSA), making meaningful comparisons of SSA with other regions difficult. The 5-year
survival rate of HIV-associated KS is reportedly as low as 9%. Failure to keep PLWH closely connected to
healthcare beyond ART leads to loss of follow-up that contributes to poor treatment response and
outcomes. Reports in SSA have documented up to 40% loss to follow-up leading to poor data quality and
making outcome measures unfeasible. Lack of proper documentation of sociodemographic,
clinicopathological characteristics, and objective assessment of treatment responses and outcomes have
led to the limited interpretation of outcomes in SSA. Currently, ORCI attends ~120 KS patients annually,
however, it is evident that there is a limited linkage between HIV and KS care leading to the scattering of
important clinical and outcome information. Therefore, there is a need to develop, test, and implement
strategies to enhance the linkages and outcomes. This need is further compounded by a lack of well-
trained researchers in HIV-associated cancers to address this area of need. We are proposing to mentor a
junior oncologist who can lead a study in establishing a clinical cohort of KS patients at Ocean Road
Cancer Institute (ORCI) in Tanzania, and test whether the engagement of the HIV care and treatment clinic
(CTC) and community healthcare workers enhance follow-ups of KS patients and improve data on KS
treatment response and outcomes. We have now identified a talented junior oncologist who is committed to
a clinical and operational research career in HIV-associated cancers to lead the proposed study. We
hypothesize that surrounding KS patients with a clinical team that maintains contact and answers questions
will enable the investigation of short- and long-term outcomes in KS treatment and will help define barriers
against and facilitators of connection to care. To test this hypothesis, the project team will: a) determine
socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of a cohort of Kaposi’s sarcoma patients at ORCI, b)
determine the treatment patterns and outcomes of Kaposi’s Sarcoma patients in relation to
sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, and c) evaluate barriers and facilitators of retention in care
for KS patients attending ORCI. The proposed supplement project is significant as it provides a unique
opportunity for a new investigator to acquire new skills in HIV clinical, operational, and implementation
research as a stepping-stone to embark on HIV/AIDS research career and improve research capacity in
Tanzania. Moreover, the study will provide outcomes and barriers information for future HIV research
studies, and for designing strategies to improve the health outcomes of PLWH in Tanzania and beyond.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10650673
- **Project number:** 3D43TW012277-01S1
- **Recipient organization:** LSU HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Julius David Mwaiselage
- **Activity code:** D43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $99,992
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2022-04-01 → 2027-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10650673

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10650673, Tanzania AIDS Malignancies Training and Research International Program (TAMTRP) (3D43TW012277-01S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10650673. Licensed CC0.

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