Dr Christian Ruzige

Murgwanza Hospital

P.O.Box 5092,

Mwanza, Tanzania.

chistianfrolence@gmail.com

+255756851095

13th February 2023

Organizing committee,

Cancer Research Training Program in Tanzania,

The MUHAS-ORCI-UCSF Cancer Collaboration.

REF; INTENTION TO ATTEND CANCER RESEARCH TRAINING PROGRAM IN

TANZANIA

Refer to the above caption

I am a general surgeon, working at Murgwanza CDH Ngara kagera with special interest with
surgical oncology main focusing on breast, esophageal, gastric and colorectal cancer and prostate
cancer.

It’s my pleasure to apply for cancer research training program; this program will offer me a
special opportunity to nourish researching skills pertaining to global cancer updates and recent
statistical management.

It’s my hope that, I will be among the young surgical oncology researchers pioneers in Tanzania
after attending this mentorship program.

Thank you all for a wonderful opportunity.

Christian Ruzige
 CURRICULUM VITAE OF CHRISTIAN RUZIGE

1.0 CONTACT INFORMATION

NAME: CHRISTIAN RUZIGE
ADDRESS: NGARA KAGERA
Cell phone: 0756851095/0716494909
Email: christianfrolence@gmail.com

2.0 PERSONAL DETAILS

Date of birth: 29th October 1990
Place of birth: Bukoba
Gender: Male
Marital status: married
Nationality: Tanzanian

3.0 EDUCATION BACKGROUND

YEAR INSTITUTION AWARD

1st NOV 2019- NOV 2022 CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY Six semesters results
OF HEALTH AND ALLIED  Master of Medicine
SCIENCE BUGANDO in Surgery
 Pending graduation

Feb 2019- July 2019 MUHIMBILI UNIVERSITY Hospital management for

1ST NOV 2016- 31ST OCT
2017
OCT 2011-AUG2016
OF HEALTH AND ALLIED health professionals
SCIENCE certificate
ST. BENEDICT NDANDA Certificate of internship
REFERAL HOSPITAL
CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY Doctor of Medicine (MD)
OF HEALTH AND ALLIED
SCIENCE BUGANDO

APR 2009- FEB 2011 BWIRU BOYS HIGH ACSEE

SCHOOL

JAN 2005 -OCT 2008 NGARA SECONDARY CSEE

SCHOOL

4.0 WORKING EXPERIENCE

1. November 2017 – September 2018 at Murgwanza DDH as General Practitioner
(medical officer)
2. September 2018- august 2019 – Acting medical officer in charge(MOIC) Murgwanza
DDH
 3. November 2022- up-to-date- general surgeon at Murgwanza council designated
hospital Ngara

5.0 RESEARCH EXPERIENCE

1. July 2015 to October 2015at Mwanza intervention trials unit(MITU)
 Role – data collection

2. June 2021- February 2022; Mmed Dissertation at Catholic University Of Health And
Allied Science
 Role – principle investigator ; “Predictors of short term treatment outcomes
among referred emergency general surgery patients admitted at Bugando Medical
Centre”

6.0 CAREER DEVELOPMENT INTEREST(S)

1. MSc in Health Policy, Planning & Financing
2. Fellowship in Surgical Oncology

7.0 SKILLS
1. LANGUAGE: Fluency in both written and spoken English and Swahili language
2. COMPUTER: Basic computer application

8.0 REFEREES
Dr Remmy Andrew (MD, MPH)
Medical officer in charge,
NURGWANZA HOSPITAL
P. O. Box Private Bag,
Ngara - kagera.
Email;
Mobile; +255767121065

Dr Samwel Byabato (MD, MMED)

Head of Department,
Department of surgery BMC/CUHAS
P. O.Box 1464, Mwanza.
Email; smbyabato@yahoo.com
Mobile; 075319675
 PERSONAL STATEMENT

Organizing Committee,

Cancer Research Training Program In Tanzania,

The MUHAS-ORCI-UCSF Cancer Collaboration.

To Whom This May Concern.

My name is Christian Ruzige and I am medical doctor graduated from Catholic University of
Health and Allied Science (CUHAS) year 2016, I recently completed my Master of Medicine In
Surgery training at CUHAS November 2022 with the pending graduation till November 2023, I
have been working at Murgwanza district designated hospital owned by the Anglican church of
Tanzania diocese of kagera located in Ngara district, kagera -Tanzania since 2017.

It would be a pleasure and huge privilege to participate in the program, as it would give me the
chance to interact with and meet professionals from the health sector with whom to share and
learn. In addition, I am excited about the opportunity that this program offers, as it would mean a
major professional step in my career and my growing institution.

Since I have a quite strong academic background in surgery and basic principles of research I believe that
cancer research training program perfectly suit my profile and career prospects. My ultimate goal is to
work with research based institutions in health sector in order to improve surgical oncology care through
researches and trainings.

This cancer research mentorship opportunity I perceive as an extraordinary opportunity to interact with
research experts and scholars from diverse professional and cultural backgrounds coming from different
parts of the world. This type of networking is very important for integration of different ideas and
perspectives pertaining to diverse cancer issues.

At the end I would like to point out that I am determined to make the most out of the cancer research
training program .I believe that being a student mentored by cancer research experts would not only
empower my career development, but would give me the framework to utilize my full potentials as a
general surgeon currently and a prosperous surgical oncologist. Moreover I feel as a student at The
MUHAS-ORCI-UCSF Cancer Collaboration, I can benefit from numerous challenging career
opportunities.

Once again I am grateful for considering my application and I look forward to a favorable reply.

Sincerely

Christian Ruzige
 RESEARCH CONCEPT NOTE

Study Title;

The utility of mammogram for screening and early diagnosis of breast cancer in Tanzania
Author; Ruzige Christian

Study background

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, is the second leading
cause of cancer mortality in Tanzania after cervical cancer (1). Most studies have
reported late disease presentation at stage 3 and 4 in developing countries including
Tanzania which is associated with significantly poor prognosis (2). Existences of
screening programs in developed countries have enhanced early breast cancer detection
and immediately evaluation and management of suspicious breast lesions at earlier
stages. Mammogram is the standard and validated imaging study for breast cancer
screening that is readily available in developed countries but it’s limited to few health
facilities in Tanzania (3). Randomized control trials have found that screening
mammography has decreased the mortality for breast cancer by 30 %, with a sensitivity
of approximately 70% which rises to 94% when augmented with breast ultrasound
studies (4-5).

Problem Statement

Breast cancer screening with mammogram is recommended by majority of cancer

screening program in developed countries with the annual screening mammogram
consisting of mediolateral oblique (MLO) and craniocaudal (CC) views of each breast for
women beginning at 40-50 years of age (2). Scarcity of mammography imaging study in
health facilities in Tanzania is among factors causing delayed breast cancer detection and
eventually advanced stage breast cancer presentation. Mammogram have been recently
introduced in few health facilities devoted to save cancer patients in Tanzania including
Muhimbili National Hospital, Bugando medical centre and Agakhan hospital of which
most facilities are located in major cities in our country. Despite the introduction of
mammogram in Tanzania there is limited information available describing contribution of
 this imaging tool toward screening and early detection of breast cancer in the catchment
populations which have been reached to date.

Study rationale

This study will be able to narrate the contribution of mammogram toward cancer
screening and early detection programs in Tanzania since its introduction and it will
explore the significant of the imaging on overall breast cancer management in Tanzania.

Objectives of the Study

Broad objectives
i. To determine the utility of mammogram for detection of breast cancer in Tanzania
Specific objectives
ii. To determine the sensitivity and specificity of mammogram toward early
detection of breast cancer in Tanzania

Research methodology

This will be the retrospective study to be conducted at Muhimbili national hospital,

Bugando medical centre and Agakhan hospital (Dar) in Tanzania to determine the
detection rates of mammogram since their introduction at these facilities.

References

1. “Tanzania Breast Health Care Assessment,” vol. 2017, 2017https://www.komen.org/wp-

content/uploads/Full_Tanzania_Assessment_report.pdf.
2. Rambau, P. F., Chalya, P. L., Manyama, M. M., & Jackson, K. J. (2011). Pathological
features of Breast Cancer seen in Northwestern Tanzania: a nine years retrospective
study. BMC research notes, 4, 214. https://doi.org/10.1186/1756-0500-4-214
3. Gilbert, F. J., & Pinker-Domenig, K. (2019). Diagnosis and Staging of Breast Cancer:
When and How to Use Mammography, Tomosynthesis, Ultrasound, Contrast-Enhanced
Mammography, and Magnetic Resonance Imaging. In J. Hodler (Eds.) et. al., Diseases of
the Chest, Breast, Heart and Vessels 2019-2022: Diagnostic and Interventional Imaging.
(pp. 155–166). Springer.
4. Cherlin, D. S., Mwaiselage, J., Msami, K., Heisler, Z., Young, H., Cui, Q., & Soliman, A.
S. (2022). Breast Cancer Screening in Low-Income Countries: A New Program for
Downstaging Breast Cancer in Tanzania. BioMed research international, 2022, 9795534.
https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/9795534
5. Iranmakani, S., Mortezazadeh, T., Sajadian, F., Ghaziani, M. F., Ghafari, A., Khezerloo,
D., & Musa, A. E. (2020). A review of various modalities in breast imaging: technical
aspects and clinical outcomes. Egyptian Journal of Radiology and Nuclear
Medicine, 51(1), 1-22.