Summary Background 80% of individuals with cancer will require a surgical procedure, yet little comparative data exist on early outcomes in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared postoperative outcomes in breast, colorectal, and gastric cancer surgery in hospitals worldwide, focusing on the effect of disease stage and complications on postoperative mortality. Methods This was a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of consecutive adult patients undergoing surgery for primary breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer requiring a skin incision done under general or neuraxial anaesthesia. The primary outcome was death or major complication within 30 days of surgery. Multilevel logistic regression determined relationships within three-level nested models of patients within hospitals and countries. Hospital-level infrastructure effects were explored with three-way mediation analyses. This study was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov , NCT03471494 . Findings Between April 1, 2018, and Jan 31, 2019, we enrolled 15 958 patients from 428 hospitals in 82 countries (high income 9106 patients, 31 countries; upper-middle income 2721 patients, 23 countries; or lower-middle income 4131 patients, 28 countries). Patients in LMICs presented with more advanced disease compared with patients in high-income countries. 30-day mortality was higher for gastric cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (adjusted odds ratio 3·72, 95% CI 1·70–8·16) and for colorectal cancer in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (4·59, 2·39–8·80) and upper-middle-income countries (2·06, 1·11–3·83). No difference in 30-day mortality was seen in breast cancer. The proportion of patients who died after a major complication was greatest in low-income or lower-middle-income countries (6·15, 3·26–11·59) and upper-middle-income countries (3·89, 2·08–7·29). Postoperative death after complications was partly explained by patient factors (60%) and partly by hospital or country (40%). The absence of consistently available postoperative care facilities was associated with seven to 10 more deaths per 100 major complications in LMICs. Cancer stage alone explained little of the early variation in mortality or postoperative complications. Interpretation Higher levels of mortality after cancer surgery in LMICs was not fully explained by later presentation of disease. The capacity to rescue patients from surgical complications is a tangible opportunity for meaningful intervention. Early death after cancer surgery might be reduced by policies focusing on strengthening perioperative care systems to detect and intervene in common complications. Funding National Institute for Health Research Global Health Research Unit.

Background Male circumcision can reduce the risk of heterosexually-acquired HIV-1 infection in men. Neonatal male circumcision (NMC) has many potential advantages over circumcision at older ages but little is known about its feasibility and safety in resource-limited settings. Methods We performed a randomized trial in southeastern Botswana of Mogen clamp and Plastibell, two commonly used devices for NMC. Follow-up visits occurred at six weeks and four months postpartum. Adverse events, parental satisfaction and staff impressions were recorded. Results Of 302 male neonates randomized, 300 (99%) underwent circumcision, 153 (51%) with Mogen clamp and 147 (49%) with Plastibell. There were no major adverse events in the Mogen clamp arm but there were two major adverse events in the Plastibell arm (both were a proximally migrated ring that had to be removed by study staff). Minor adverse events were more common with the Mogen clamp compared with the Plastibell, specifically removal of too little skin and formation of skin bridges or adhesions (12 vs. 1 and 11 vs. 3, respectively, all P<0.05). Five (3%) infants in the Mogen clamp arm and none in the Plastibell arm had minor bleeding (P=0.03). More than 94% of mothers reported being highly or completely satisfied with the procedure. Conclusions NMC can be performed in Botswana with a low rate of adverse events and high parental satisfaction. Although the risk of migration and retention of the Plastibell is small, the Mogen clamp may be safer for NMC in regions where immediate emergent medical attention is not available.

Correspondence to: Rebeca M. Plank, rplank@partners.org. Disclaimer: The findings and conclusions in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult male circumcision reduces a man's risk for heterosexual HIV acquisition. Infant circumcision is safer, easier and less costly but not widespread in southern Africa. Questionnaires were administered to sixty mothers of newborn boys in Botswana: 92% responded they would circumcise if the procedure were available in a clinical setting, primarily to prevent future HIV infection, and 85% stated the infant's father must participate in the decision. Neonatal male circumcision appears to be acceptable in Botswana and deserves urgent attention in resource-limited regions with high HIV prevalence, with the aim to expand services in safe, culturally acceptable and sustainable ways. NIH Public Access

Existing devices for early infant male circumcision (EIMC) have inherent limitations. We evaluated the newly developed AccuCirc device by circumcising 151 clinically well, full-term male infants with birth-weight ≥ 2.5 kg within the first 10 days of life from a convenience sample in two hospitals in Botswana. No major adverse events were observed. There was one local infection, five cases of minor bleeding and one case of moderate bleeding. In three cases the device made only partial incisions that were completed immediately by the provider without complications. Parental satisfaction was high: > 96% of mothers stated they would circumcise a future son. The pre-assembled, sterile AccuCirc kit has the potential to overcome obstacles related to supply chain management and on-site instrument disinfection that can pose challenges in resource-limited settings. In our study the AccuCirc was safe and it should be considered for programmatic EIMC in resource-limited settings.