Bulawayo, (New Ziana)-Surgeons from different parts of the country recently gathered in Bulawayo for an advanced course in Tumor diagnosis, identification and treatment.

The course was a collaboration between sponsored surgeries and Christian care for children living with disabilities services provider CURE International Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Orthopedic Association (ZOA), Australian Doctors for Africa (ADFA) and the Oxford University.

It aimed to improve patient outcomes and increase survival rates by sharpening the skills of surgeons, providing participants with the knowledge needed to tackle complex cases with greater precision.

A tumor is an abnormal mass of tissue that forms when cells grow and divide more than they should or do not die when they should. Tumors may be benign (not cancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

Benign tumors may grow large but do not spread into, or invade, nearby tissues or other parts of the body while malignant tumors can spread into, or invade, nearby tissues. They can also spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems.

President of the Zimbabwe Orthopedic Association Dr Malvern Nyamutora explained the importance of such trainings, saying they make a huge difference in raising awareness and giving people hope that tumors can be treated.

“Learning should continue so that we know that a difference can be made to these tumors,” he said.

CURE orthopedic surgeon Dr Laurence Wicks also explained how the trainings enabled surgeons and doctors to share knowledge, network, and close information gaps.

“Some doctors will not be specialized in detecting and treating tumors, so they would have to refer them to CURE. Even then, we would have to work with other specialists in treating such cases,” he said.

New Ziana