As the first and only oncologist in the Solomons Islands, Dr Andrew Soma and his patients are up against some sobering challenges – advanced cancer cases, pathology delays, limited drug treatment options and supply, and limited or lack of proper screening programs and technology.
The new mammogram machine for breast cancer screening is only about to be installed now after the last one broke down in 2018. Pathology results are an uphill challenge with tests required to be sent to Brisbane for processing, contributing to diagnosis and treatment delays. Patients in the developing country often present late when cancer is advanced, making treatment challenging and palliative care sometimes the only option.
A small but dedicated team of five cancer nurses and a registrar currently support Dr Soma at the National Referral Hospital, Honiara, which services a population of 700,000.
Dr Soma was a medical registrar when the hospital established its first oncology unit with the support of the Australian Government in 2018. In this year, the first patient received chemotherapy at the hospital’s new oncology unit – a welcome gain for the island nation.
He was able to become a qualified oncologist by completing the Master of Cancer Sciences online, Australia's first cancer-specific, wholly online postgraduate degree, developed in collaboration with experts from the VCCC Alliance and the University of Melbourne.
He would sometimes sleep overnight at the hospital so he could study, to overcome slow and expensive internet speeds encountered in his home.
In Melbourne recently to attend his graduation ceremony from the Master of Cancer Sciences, Dr Soma visited the VCCC Alliance, met with staff and toured the VCCC building.
A medical graduate of the University of Papua New Guinea, Dr Soma said the Solomons also loses local medical staff to overseas positions. Is he tempted to follow?
“I feel like the Solomon's oncology father now. I cannot run away,” he says, smiling.
“I feel like the Solomon's oncology father now. I cannot run away,” - Dr Andrew Soma
Dr Soma says the most common forms of cancer people present with include breast, cervical and prostate cancer. Cancers able to be treated by the oncology unit include breast, oral, ovarian, lung, head and neck cancer, lymphomas, colorectal and soft tissue sarcoma. The main treatment is currently chemotherapy, and hormonal treatment is available also for breast cancer.
Healthcare in the Solomon Islands is highly dependent on overseas aid programs and volunteer assistance missions. Dr Soma received a scholarship to take on the Master of Cancer Sciences, supported by the John James Foundation. The foundation has also supported observational visits and training for Dr Soma and two nurses to the Canberra Hospital, which continues its support of the unit.
