The directorate of cancer prevention services was formed in 2012 after approval of the new organizational structure of Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI). Officially, the directorate was established in February 2013 after approval of its appointed staff by the Board of Trustees of ORCI.
Since the establishment of ORCI in 1996, cancer prevention activities were under the Directorate of Medical Services in the division of cancer prevention services. However, the institute saw the need of expanding cancer prevention services in order for the service to be prominent and to have a nation-wide coverage.
Cancer prevention services are set of strategies and activities that are taken to lower the chance of getting cancer in a community. By preventing cancer, the number of new cases of cancer in a group or population is lowered and this will translate into lower number of deaths caused by cancer. Prevention offers the most cost-effective long term strategy for the control of cancer and ORCI strive to a reality that with workable preventive strategies, the burden of cancer can be reduced in Tanzania.
Generally, the institute aims to reduce the burden of cancer in the communities through increasing cancer awareness and prevention by engaging in partnerships, collecting and reporting data, assuring quality data, providing and supervision public and professional education, and assuring availability of quality services for screening, early detection and prompt treatment.

Mission of the Directorate

Mission of the Directorate The mission is to reduce the burden of cancer in Tanzania through planning and implementation of local as well as national cancer prevention strategies. The efficiency of achieving the above depends on having a comprehensive cancer registry, efficient medical records system, educating the public on nature, character and causes of cancer, ensuring effective cancer screening and early detection programs, expanding HIV-related malignancy care and research, ensuring prompt treatment for precancerous lesions and early referral for patients diagnosed with cancer, dissemination of cancer information material, and promotion of cancer surveillance. It is planned that the implementation of the above will be done by Directorate of Cancer Prevention through partnerships with local and international organizations.

Functions of the Directorate

In order to achieve the above mission, the following functions will be done by the directorate;
• Develop programs for educating the public on risk factors for cancers and preventive measures
• Take and store properly medical records of cancer patients and be able to provide when needed
• Collect, keep and analyze epidemiological and demographic data with regards to the incidence, mortality and prevalence of cancer in the institute and the country
• Develop and implement cancer screening and early detection programs
• Develop and implement vaccination programs to prevent cancer in the country
• Develop, plan, supervise and execute of surveys/research related to cancer prevention and control.
• Build partnerships with other organizations working in cancer related field
• Develop and implement HIV-related malignancy care and prevention program
• Provide technical advice and input to other organization in areas of cancer prevention and control

Cancer Prevention Services has the following sections:
• Cancer screening and Public education
• Medical records
• Epidemiology and biostatistics
• HIV Care and treatment clinic
• Cancer registration

Cancer Screening and Education Section
The section started as a unit since 2002 in the division of cancer prevention and research whereby cervical cancer screening services was initiated as a research project through support from IARC. This project ended 2005 and cervical cancer screening continued as a service to the community and also incorporated breast cancer screening in its services. Then from 2013 this unit became a section of cancer screening and public education. This section provides cervical, breast and prostate cancer screening, research and education at the ORCI and also in its outreach programs. The section provides services from Monday to Friday and we screen about 20 to 25 women per day for cervical cancer and 30 to 35 women for breast cancer. At the moment, prostate cancer screening is only provided during campaigns and as an outreach.
This section is responsible for the following activities;-
• To prepare syllabus and materials for cancer education for different levels of recipients e.g. Nurses, clinicians, technologists, different groups in the general population etc.
• To facilitate and propagate cancer education to different groups using different venues and media both electronic and non-electronic
• To keep abreast with new developments and research findings on cancer and incorporate these findings in the established syllabi and teaching materials.
• To facilitate training of doctors and nurses on cancer screening
• To screen and treat for cervical cancer using visual inspection with acetic acid.
• To perform early detection programs on breast, prostate and childhood cancers.
• To facilitate and participate in national cancer awareness campaigns.
• To Liaise with and answering enquiries from media, individuals and other organizations.
• To write and editing in-house magazines, case studies, speeches, articles and annual reports.
• To prepare and supervising the production of publicity brochures, handouts, direct mail

Medical Records
This section was established in 1996 during the establishment of the institute. It has been a very important unit for the institute as it also provides reception services to the visiting patients and individuals at ORCI. This section opens about 80 – 100 new cancer patients files per week.
This section is responsible for the following activities;-
• To open/receive and keep custody of medical records of patients attending the Institute.
• To prepare and make avail, from time to time to the management, a summary of the vital data and information of patients attended at the Institute.
• To transfer vital data and information from the Medical Records to the Cancer registry.
• To review and when necessary to upgrade Medical records and/or Cancer Registry procedures so as to keep with pace the prevailing national/international trends.
• To plan the best way of carrying the above functions.

Epidemiology and Biostatistics Section
This section was established in 2002 by then it was under the division of cancer prevention services. This section has been very instrumental in the provision of research data for the students who performs research as part of their degrees but also for research purposes. It also an important section for provision of data for the institute planning of its services and budget.
This section is responsible for the following activities;-
• To collect, keep and analyze epidemiological and demographic data as regards the incidence and prevalence of cancer in the country.
• To make correlation of the data on cancer to the possible causal/predisposing factors on development of cancer.
• To participate in planning and executing surveys/research related to the different aspects of cancer

Care and Treatment Clinic
This clinic was established in 2004 in order to support the care and treatment of PLWHIA particularly those with cancer. Since its inception, the clinic was supported by ICAP-Columbia University but for the past one year the clinic is supported by Management of Disease for Health (MDH).
This section is responsible for the following activities;-
• To ensure patients with HIV-related malignancy are tested for HIV through a PITC program
• To capture, store and provide data for HIV patients attending CTC clinic
• To provide care and treatment for HIV positive individuals; both cancer and non-cancer patients
• To participate in research project focusing on HIV related malignancies
• To expand collaboration with organization focusing on HIV in order to develop research and training capacity