Knowledge, attitude and practice of medical doctors toward adult Lymphoma in Kinshasa, The Democratic Republic of the Congo

Abstract

Context and objective. Lymphomas, categorized as Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's, are a hematological malignancy whose prevalence worldwide is on the rise. The aim of the present survey was to assess physicians' knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding adult lymphomas in Kinshasa. Methods. This was an analytical cross-sectional study carried out among medical doctors in Kinshasa from November 21 to December 21, 2023 via an online questionnaire. Results. This first survey involved 435 respondents, 68.5% of whom were general practitioners, 15.9% specialists and 15.7% doctors undergoing specialization. Doctors aged 30 to 39 accounted for 51.5%, men 71.7%. A proportion of 15.6% of doctors presented a “very good or excellent” level of knowledge. Only 10.8% of doctors were assessed as having a good professional attitude and 20.7% a good or excellent lymphoma practice. A better knowledge score was associated with age, gender, grade, hospital sector and seniority. Conclusion. The level of knowledge, attitudes and practices of Kinshasa physicians concerning lymphomas remains inadequate. This inevitably leads to delays in diagnosis and underestimation of the disease, with deleterious consequences for patient survival. It is imperative to reinforce information and training for doctors, while developing a protocol for the detection, referral, management and follow-up of lymphomas. Received: April 14th, 2025 Accepted: August 9th, 2025 https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/aamed.v19i1.13