Cancer survival in Izmir, Turkey, 1995-1997

The Izmir cancer registry, the first population-based cancer registry in Turkey, was established in 1992. Cancer registration is now done by active methods. The registry contributed data on survival for 12 cancer sites or types registered in 1995-1997. Follow-up was predominantly done by active methods with median follow-up ranging between 17-72 months for different cancers. The proportion with histologically verified diagnosis for various cancers ranged between 84-100%; there were no death certificate only (DCO) cases; 98-100% of total registered cases were included for the survival analysis. Complete follow-up at five years ranged from 79-98% for different cancers. Five-year age-standardized relative survival rates of common cancers were breast (77%), urinary bladder (70%), Larynx (69%), colon (53%), rectum (52%), non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (50%) and cervix (58%). Five-year relative survival by age group portrayed decreasing survival with increasing age at diagnosis for cancer of the cervix, and was fluctuating for other cancers. Decreasing survival with increasing clinical extent of disease was also noted.     

Incidence in Izmir in 1993-1994: first results from Izmir Cancer Registry

A population-based cancer registry, covering the province of Izmir (population 2.7 million, 1993-1994) in Western Turkey was established in 1992. Results for 1993-1994 are presented. Overall cancer incidence was higher in males than in females (age-standardised rates 157.5 and 94.0 per 100000, respectively), as in previous non-population-based series. The principal cancers in males were tobacco-related - lung (age-standardised incidence rate (ASR) 61.6), bladder (ASR 11.0) and larynx (ASR 10.6), consistent with the high prevalence of smoking, and use of traditional high-tar tobaccos. Skin cancers were also relatively common (ASR 11.5 for cancers excluding melanoma). Gastrointestinal cancers were relatively rare. In women, breast cancer was by far the most common malignancy (ASR 24.4); cervical cancer was relatively rare (ASR 5.4). There is probably an underestimate of incidence, due to an inability to use data from certain sources (e.g. death certificates), resulting in a rather high proportion of histologically verified cases (93.7% overall). Nevertheless, the overall profile is an accurate reflection of incidence in this region of Turkey and provides much of the information required for planning strategies to control cancer.     

Cancer incidence in eastern Libya: the first report from the Benghazi Cancer Registry, 2003

Cancer registration in Northern Africa is still limited and, until now, there have been no population-based data available for Libya. In this paper, we present the first data collected and analyzed by the Benghazi Cancer Registry. Registration was carried out by active data collection; the registry staff routinely visited all hospitals and pathological laboratories in eastern Libya (1.6 million inhabitants) and collected information from all death registration offices. A huge archive of prevalent cases was established before the 2003 data were collected. A total of 997 cases of primary cancers were registered among residents in 2003. The world age-standardized incidence rate for all sites combined (except nonmelanoma skin) was 118 per 100,000 for men and 95 per 100,000 for women. The most frequently diagnosed malignancies in males were lung cancer (19%) and colorectal cancer (10%), followed by cancers of the head and neck (9%) and bladder (9%). Among females, they were breast cancer (26%), cancer of the colon and rectum (9%), uterus (7%) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (5%). Our study provides data on cancer incidence in eastern Libya, and confirms that cancer incidence is much lower than in western countries. Moreover, observed patterns indicate that the incidence of many cancers, including those of the lung, breast, colon, rectum and bladder is quite different from previous estimates based on the data available from the neighboring countries.     

Cervical Adenocarcinoma and Squamous Cell CarcinomaIncidence Trends among Tunisian Women

Introduction: Uterine cervix cancer is an important public health problem in Tunisia. In this study, we reporttrends in the incidence of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix uteri in the central regionof Tunisia during 1993-2006. Design: Data were obtained from the Cancer Registry of the Center of Tunisiawhich registers invasive cancer cases by active methods. Five-year age-specific rates, crude incidence rates (CR),world age-standardized rates (ASR), percent change (PC) and annual percent change (APC) were calculatedusing annual population data. Results: Among all women cancers, cervix uteri cancer accounted for 5.9% andranked the fourth during the study period with an ASR of 6.9 per 100,000. The ASRs decreased notably with anAPC of -6.7% over the whole period. However, incidence rates of adenocarcinomas have increased during thelast years (APC: +14.4%). Conclusion: The introduction of cytological screening programs has led to a markeddecrease of the incidence rates of cervix uteri cancer among Tunisian women. The data underline the fact thatthe population-based cancer registry is an indispensable tool for providing data for planning and evaluation ofprograms for cancer control.     

Cancer survival in Seoul, Republic of Korea, 1993-1997

The Seoul cancer registry was established in 1991. Cancer is a notifiable disease, and registration of cases is done by passive and active methods. The registry contributed survival data for 56 cancer sites or types registered during 1993-1997. Follow-up information has been gleaned predominantly by passive methods with median follow-up ranging between 5-82 months for various cancers. The proportion with histologically verified diagnosis for different cancers ranged between 23-99%; death certificates only (DCOs) comprised 0-67%; 33-100% of total registered cases were included for survival analysis. The top-ranking cancers on 5-year age-standardized relative survival rates were testis and placenta (95%), thyroid (93%), non-melanoma skin (93%), corpus uteri (79%), renal pelvis (77%), cervix (76%), Hodgkin lymphoma (75%), breast (74%) and prostate (74%). Five-year relative survival by age group showed a decreasing trend with increasing age groups for cancers of the small intestine, colon, gall bladder, cervix, corpus uteri, ovary, kidney, urinary bladder and thyroid, or was fluctuating for other cancers.     

Cancer incidence trends in Urban Shanghai, 1972-1989

Incidence data pertaining to more than 250,000 cancer cases diagnosed during the years 1972-1989 among residents of urban Shanghai, China, were analyzed to determine the relative importance of the various malignancies and to discover changes over time. In the most recent 3-year period, lung cancer was the most frequent cancer among men (57.0 per 100,000 person-years, age-adjusted world standard), followed by cancers of the stomach (50. 1), liver (29.6), esophagus (13.3), colon (11.2) and rectum (9.4). Among women, breast cancer leads (25.1), followed by cancers of the stomach (23.2), lung (18.8), liver (10.9), colon (10.2) and rectum (7.3). The most impressive increases in incidence rates from 1972-74 to 1987-89 were observed for cancers of the gallbladder (119% and 101% among men and women, respectively), colon (85% and 78%), and brain and other nervous system (71% and 60%). In addition, increases of 20-50% occurred for cancers of the pancreas, male lung, female breast, corpus uteri, kidney, and for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Rates declined notably for cancers of the esophagus (-54% and -53%), cervix uteri (-86%), and to a lesser extent (10-20%) cancers of the male stomach and liver. These observed trends can be explained only partly by improvements in cancer diagnosis and completeness of the cancer registry, and most likely reflect changes in the prevalence of risk factors in this population.     

Cancer Incidence in Southwest of Iran: First Report from Khuzestan Population-Based Cancer Registry, 2002-2009

Background: Cancer incidence rates are increasing particularly in developing countries. It is crucial for policymakers to know basic cancer epidemiology in each region to design comprehensive prevention plans. There havehitherto been no population-based data available for cancer in Khuzestan province. The present report is a firstfrom the regional population-based cancer registry for the period of 2002-2009. Materials and Methods: Datawere collected retrospectively reviewing all new cancer patients whom were registered in Khuzestan provincecancer registry during an 8-year period (2002-2009). All cases were coded based on the ICD-O-3 coding systemand collected data were computerized using SPSS (Chicago, IL) software, version 11.5. The age standardizedincidence rates (ASRs) per 100,000 person-year for all cancers were computed using the indirect method ofstandardization to the world population. Results: During the 8-year study period, 16,801 new cancer cases wereregistered. Based on the computed ASRs, the five most frequent malignancies in females were breast (26.4 per100,000), skin (13.6), colorectal (5.72), stomach (4.31) and bladder(4.07) and in males, the five most frequentwere skin (16.0 per 100,000), bladder (10.7),prostate (7.64), stomach (7.17), and colorectal (6.32).The ASR forall malignancies in women was 92.5 per 100,000, and that for men was 87.4. Conclusions: The observed patternsfrom the analysis of Khuzestan cancer registry data will lead to better understanding of the epidemiology ofvarious malignancies in this part ofthe country and consequently provide a useful guide for authorities to makeefficacious decisions and policies about a cancer control program for south-west Iran.     

Cancer Incidence Rates in Turkey in 2006: A Detailed Registry Based Estimation

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to provide a detailed report on cancer incidence in Turkey, a relativelylarge country with a population of 72 million. We present the estimates of the cancer burden in Turkey for2006, calculated using data from the eight population based cancer registries which have been set up in selectedprovinces representative of sociodemographic patterns in their regions. Methods: We calculated age specificand age adjusted incidence rates (AAIR–world standard population) for each of registries separately. Weassigned a weighting coefficient for each registry proportional to the population size of the region which theregistry represents. Results: We pooled a total of 24,428 cancers (14,581 males, 9,847 females). AAIRs per 100000 were: 210.1 in men and 129.4 in women for all cancer sites excluding non-melanoma skin cancer. The AAIRper 100 000 men was highest for lung cancer (60.3) followed by prostate (22.8), bladder (19.6), stomach (16.3)and colo-rectal (15.4) cancers. Among women the rate per 100 000 was highest for breast cancer (33.7) followedby colorectal (11.5), stomach (8.8), thyroid (8.8) and lung (7.7). The most striking findings about the cancerincidence in the provinces were the high incidence rates for stomach and esophageal cancers in Erzurum andhigh stomach cancer incidence rates in Trabzon for both sexes. Conclusions: We are thus able to present themost accurate and realistic estimations for cancer incidence in Turkey so far. Lung, prostate, bladder, stomach,colorectal, larynx cancers in men and breast, colorectal, stomach, thyroid, lung, corpus uteri cancers in womenare the leading cancers respectively. This figure shows us tobacco related cancers, lung, bladder and larynx,predominate in men. Concurrently, we analyzed the data for each province separately, giving us the opportunityto present the differences in cancer patterns among provinces. The high incidences of stomach and esophagealcancers in East and high incidence of stomach cancer in Northeast regions are remarkable.     

Trends in the incidence of cancer in the Sousse region,Tunisia, 1993–2006

In this article, we analyzed trends in incidence rates of the major cancer sites for a 14‐year period, 1993–2006, in the Sousse region localized in the centre of Tunisia. Five‐year age‐specific rates, crude incidence rates (CR), world age‐standardized rates (ASR), percent change (PC) and annual percent change (APC) were calculated using annual data on population size and its estimated age structure. A total of 6,975 incident cases of cancer were registered, with a male to‐female sex ratio of 1.4:1. ASRs showed stable trends (?0.1% in males, and +1.0% in females). The leading cancer sites in rank were lung, breast, lymphoma, colon‐rectum, bladder, prostate, leukemia, stomach and cervix uteri. For males, the incidence rates of lung, bladder and prostate cancers remained stable over time. While, cancers of colon‐rectum showed a marked increase in incidence (APC: +4.8%; 95% CI: 1.2%, 8.4%) and non‐Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) showed a notable decline (APC: ?4.4%; 95% CI: ?8.2, ?0.6). For females, cancers of the breast (APC: +2.2%; 95% CI: 0.4%, 4.0%) and corpus uteri (APC: +7.4%; 95% CI: 2.8%, 12.0%) showed a marked increase in incidence during the study period, while the cervix uteri cancer decreased significantly (APC: ?6.1%; 95% CI: ?9.2%, ?3.0%). The results underline the increasing importance of cancer as a cause of mortality and morbidity in Tunisia. Our findings justify the need to develop effective program aiming at the control and prevention of the spread of cancer amongst Tunisian population.     

Patterns of cancer incidence among the population of qatar: a worldwide comparative study.

Background: Cancer is a major public health problem all over the world. Monitoring the evolution of the cancer burden in the State of Qatar is of great value but has never been explored in depth. Aims: The aim of the study was to determine the incidence patterns of cancer cases, assess trends during the period 1991 - 2006 and make comparisons with other countries. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study based on the Cancer disease registry of Al Amal Cancer hospital, State of Qatar, from 1991 - 2006. All Qataris and non-Qataris, males and females, who were diagnosed with any type of cancer were included in this study. The diagnostic classification of definite cancer cases was made according to the International Classification of Disease 10th revision (ICD-10). Results: A total of 5,825 cancer cases were registered in Qatar during the period 1991 - 2006 with 56.7% in males and 43.3% in females, 35.6% in Qataris and 64.4% in non-Qataris. Incidence rates per 100,000 population showed that lung (5.9), lymph node (5.9), bone marrow (4.1) and connective tissue (3.9) were the top major cancers in men. In women, breast (30.1), genital organs (9), lymph node (6.8), rectum (6.1) and thyroid (5.7) cancers were the leading cancers. There was a sharp rise in the total number of cancer cases during the period 2002-2006 of 57.1% compared to the period 1991-1996. The incidence rate of cancer cases increased with increasing age in all cancer types except for breast cancer in women above 65 years old. During the study period, the five most common cancers among women were different from those in men. The incidence rate per 100,000 population of all cancer types in Qatar (63.1) was remarkably lower than the other Middle East countries and the UK. Conclusions: Cancer is an important public health problem in Qatar, with increase in incidence with age. Incidence rates of all cancers were higher across all age groups of women compared to men. Lung cancer was the most frequent cancer diagnosed in men and breast cancer in women. More epidemiological studies are now required to elucidate the patterns of cancer and related risk factors.     

Synchronous Primary Cancers of the Female Reproductive Tract in Turkish Women

Objectives: To evaluate the synchronous gynecologic cancers in Turkish women. Materials and methods: Apopulation-based longitudinal cohort study was conducted using Izmir Cancer Registry (ICR) data on gynecologiccancer patients diagnosed in the period 1993 to 2005. The registry covers the 3.7 million population of Izmir andhas been collecting data on cancer incidence and survival of cancer patients’ since 1992. The ICR collects data onall new cases of cancer from all the hospitals (n = 22) in the city. Results: A total of 4,185 women were identifiedwith gynecologic cancer between 1993 and 2005, 1,526 with endometrial, 1,206 with cervical, 1,198 with ovarian,115 with vulvar, 67 with other uterine ( sarcoma etc.), 33 with vaginal and 40 with other gynecologic cancers (tuba uterina etc.). Fifty-five (1.3%) patients with invasive synchronous primary cancers were identified, 43 ofthese tumor pairs being endometrium-ovaries (81%), 66 of all lesions being endometrioid adenocarcinomas.Conclusions: Independent primary tumors of the endometrium and ovary are the most commonly encounteredsynchronous tumors of the female genital tractus with endometrioid adenocarcinoma as the most frequentcomponent.     

The changing incidence of cancer in adults in New South Wales

Data from the New South Wales (NSW) Central Cancer Registry comprising all new cases of cancer registered in persons aged 15 years and over for the 10-year period 1973 to 1982 were examined using log-linear regression to determine whether the incidence of cancer had been changing in NSW. Allowing for the altered age and sex structure of the population over this period, the annual incidence rate for all sites combined increased significantly by 1.7% in men and 1.0% in women. Cancers which had increased at a rate significantly greater than that for all sites combined were those of unknown primary site (8.7% per year), lung (in women only, 5.6%), kidney (4.5%), bladder (2.7%) and rectum (2.6%) and lymphomas (2.6%). Other cancers which showed a significantly increased incidence rate per se were testis (3.5%), larynx (3.2%), prostate (2.1%), colon (1.7%), brain (1.6%), leukaemias (1.3%) and lung (in men only, 0.7%). Cancers which had decreased significantly in incidence were those of oesophagus (-2.2%), cervix uteri (-2.0%) and stomach (-1.4%). No significant change in incidence over the 10 years had occurred for cancers of the corpus uteri, breast, ovary or pancreas.     

Incidence of cancer in Nairobi,Kenya (2004–2008)

Cancer incidence rates are presented for the Nairobi Cancer Registry, a population‐based cancer registry (PBCR) covering the population of the capital city of Kenya (3.2 million inhabitants in 2009). Case finding was by active methods, with standard and checks for accuracy and validity. During the period 2004–2008 a total of 8,982 cases were registered comprising 3,889 men (an age standardized incidence rate (ASR) of 161 per 100,000) and 5,093 women (ASR 231 per 1,00,000). Prostate cancer was the most common cancer in men (ASR 40.6 per 100,000) while breast cancer was the most common among women (ASR 51.7 per 100,000). Cervical cancer ranked the second most common cancer among women in Nairobi with an ASR of 46.1 per 100,000, somewhat lower than those of other registries in East Africa region. Breast and cervical cancers accounted for 44% of all cancers in women. Cancer of the oesophagus was common in both sexes, with a slight excess of cases in men (sex ratio 1.3). Unlike other regions in East Africa, the rate of Kaposi sarcoma was relatively low during the period (men 3.6/100,000; women 2.0/100,000). Although incidence rates cannot be calculated for the early years of the registry, the increase in relative frequency of prostate cancer and declines in frequency of Kaposi sarcoma may indicate underlying trends in the risk of these cancers.     

上海市区女性生殖系统恶性肿瘤发病趋势分析

目的对1972～1999年上海市区常见的女性生殖系统恶性肿瘤的发病率进行统计,分析其发病趋势及变化原因,为防治措施的制定提供依据.方法根据上海市肿瘤发病登记处收集的1972～1999年的上海市区卵巢癌、宫颈癌、宫体癌和不明部位子宫癌的病例资料和相应年份的人口资料,分别计算各年龄组的年龄别发病率.并采用直接法计算世界人口标化发病率,对数线性回归法计算标化率的年变化率(Annual percentage change,APC),并对病例数进行加权计算.结果1972～1999年上海市肿瘤登记处共登记卵巢癌6106例、宫颈癌8063例,宫体癌3 933例和不明部位子宫癌1 312例.28年来,宫体癌和卵巢癌的标化发病率呈上升趋势,分别从1972～1974年的2.49/10万和4.77/10万上升至1996～1999年的4.75/10万和6.88/10万,年增长率分别为3.0%和2.0%.同期宫颈癌的标化发病率从26.66/10万快速下降至2.18/10万,年下降率达10.5%.不明部位子宫癌的标化发病率亦呈下降趋势(P＜0.01).宫体癌以55～64和65～74岁组发病率上升最快,年增长率分别为2.5%和3.3%.卵巢癌各年龄组的发病率均有上升趋势,年变化率都在1.0%以上.宫颈癌发病率下降最快的年龄组是45～54和55～64岁组,25～34和35～44岁组的发病率在近几年有升高趋势.结论上述肿瘤的发病率及年龄别发病率的变化趋势提示,上海女性生活方式和环境因素的改变可能是导致这种变化的重要原因.     

Cancer incidence in a rural population of South Africa, 1998–2002

Cancer incidence rates and patterns are reported for a rural population, living in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa for the period 1998–2002. The population‐based cancer registry has operated for 20 years, using both active and passive methods for case finding, through collaborations with 19 health facilities: 11 district hospitals, 7 referral hospitals and 1 regional laboratory. The age standardized incidence rates for all cancers were 73.1 per 100,000 in males and 64.1 per 100,000 in females. The leading top 5 cancers for males were oesophagus (32.7 per 100,000), lung (5.8 per 100,000), prostate (4.4 per 100,000), liver (4.4 per 100,000) and larynx (2.5 per 100,000) whereas for females they were cervix (21.7 per 100,000), oesophagus (20.2 per 100,000), breast (7.5 per 100,000), ovary (0.9 per 100,000) and liver (0.9 per 100,000). The incidence of Kaposi sarcoma was low, and higher for males (1.6 per 100,000) than females (0.3 per 100,000). Lung cancer in both males and females was relatively low compared to the high incidence of oesophagus cancer.     

Cancer incidence and mortality patterns in South Eastern Europe in the last decade: Gaps persist compared with the rest of Europe

IntroductionCancer registration coverage and cancer control programmes in South Eastern (SE) Europe, embracing about six new EU member states, remain thin, despite a relatively high incidence and mortality burden from avoidable cancers, particularly in males. We assembled the most recent cancer registry data to estimate the burden of the 17 most common cancers in the region, from Slovenia to Cyprus and Malta.MethodsData were made available for analysis from Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Malta, Romania (Cluj County), Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey (Antalya and Izmir provinces). We analysed incidence and mortality of the 17 most common cancers (counts and age-standardised rates, for the most recent year available and for the period 1999–2008). We used Joinpoint regression to quantify recent trends.FindingsFor much of SE Europe, there were no marked declines in overall cancer mortality rates during 1999–2008. In men, lung cancer incidence and mortality rates were high compared to other European countries (age-standardised rates (ASRW) of incidence being 50–60/100,000 in most of the countries), and still increasing in Bulgaria, Serbia and Turkey. Prostate cancer incidence rapidly increased throughout the region by 3–12% annually, largely without any clear declines in mortality. Colorectal cancer incidence increased throughout the region, as did mortality especially in Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria (average annual percentage change (AAPC) 1.5–2%). In women, breast cancer mortality significantly declined in Slovenia, Croatia and Malta (Average Annual Percentage of Change [AAPC] –2%, –1% and –5%, respectively), but not elsewhere. Cervical cancer incidence rates remained very high in Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria (ASRW > 20/100,000).InterpretationOur data confirmed the North West to South East Europe gradient of increasing incidence and mortality rates of tobacco-related cancers, as well as increasing mortality rates of screen-detectable cancers. The lack of decline in overall cancer mortality also indicates suboptimal levels of cancer control in the region.     

Reprint of: Cancer incidence and mortality patterns in South Eastern Europe in the last decade: Gaps persist compared with the rest of Europe

IntroductionCancer registration coverage and cancer control programmes in South Eastern (SE) Europe, embracing about six new EU member states, remain thin, despite a relatively high incidence and mortality burden from avoidable cancers, particularly in males. We assembled the most recent cancer registry data to estimate the burden of the 17 most common cancers in the region, from Slovenia to Cyprus and Malta.MethodsData were made available for analysis from Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Malta, Romania (Cluj County), Serbia, Slovenia and Turkey (Antalya and Izmir provinces). We analysed incidence and mortality of the 17 most common cancers (counts and age-standardised rates, for the most recent year available and for the period 1999–2008). We used Joinpoint regression to quantify recent trends.FindingsFor much of SE Europe, there were no marked declines in overall cancer mortality rates during 1999–2008. In men, lung cancer incidence and mortality rates were high compared to other European countries (age-standardised rates (ASRW) of incidence being 50–60/100,000 in most of the countries), and are still increasing in Bulgaria, Serbia and Turkey. Prostate cancer incidence rapidly increased throughout the region by 3–12% annually, largely without any clear declines in mortality. Colorectal cancer incidence increased throughout the region, as did mortality especially in Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria (average annual percentage change (AAPC) 1.5–2%). In women, breast cancer mortality significantly declined in Slovenia, Croatia and Malta (AAPC −2%, −1% and −5%, respectively), but not elsewhere. Cervical cancer incidence rates remained very high in Romania, Serbia and Bulgaria (ASRW >20/100,000).InterpretationOur data confirmed the North West to South East Europe gradient of increasing incidence and mortality rates of tobacco-related cancers, as well as increasing mortality rates of screen-detectable cancers. Lack of decline in overall cancer mortality also indicates suboptimal levels of cancer control in the region.     

Monitoring the changing pattern of esophago-gastric cancer: data from a UK regional cancer registry

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and adequacy of the existing system of cancer registration in the United Kingdom to monitor past and future trends in esophago-gastric cancer incidence. Methods: The Northern and Yorkshire UK Cancer Registry was interrogated for all cases of esophageal and gastric cancer occurring between 1984 and 1993. Data concerning year of registration, subsite, histology, sex, and ages were recorded and analyzed. Results: A total of 22,300 cases were identified from an estimated population of 6.7 million. The overall age- and sex-standardized incidence of gastric cancer fell over the 10-year period from 12.8 to 10.5 per 100,000 (p < 0.001) while esophageal cancer increased from 4.6 to 5.4 cases per 100,000 (p = 0.006). Adenocarcinoma of the gastric cardia increased in proportion from 29.1% to 52.2% (p < 0.0001), 70.4% of esophageal and 71% of gastric cancer registrations were recorded without details of subsite. For 25% of esophageal cancers and 36% of gastric cancers there was no histological information. Conclusions: While the trend toward an increasing incidence of adenocarcinoma at the esophago-gastric junction reported in earlier studies appears to be confirmed, the high incidence of imprecise subsite reporting of cancer registry data illustrated in this study should make us look critically at the findings of other cancer registry data. Recognition of cancer of the esophago-gastric junction as distinct from other gastric and esophageal subsites may improve accuracy of recording and allow cancer registry data to more accurately monitor the changes in esophago- gastric cancer incidence in subsequent analyses.     

Incidence of Cancer in Basrah: Results of a Household Survey

Background: Cancer is a major health problem at global level. It is increasingly registered in Iraq andBasrah but the epidemiological situation, though becoming better documented, is still questionable regardingthe adequacy of data. Objective: The study aimed to measure the incidence of cancer in Basrah. Materialsand Methods: The results presented in this paper are part of a large household survey carried out in Basrahgovernorate-southern Iraq over a 12 month period (January to December 2013). It involved a detailed interviewwith adult respondents from each and every household enrolled in the study during a three-year recall periodabout the incidence of cancer. A total of 6,999 households were covered yielding 40,684 persons. Results: Thetotal number of new cancer cases reported over the three- year recall period (2010-2012) was 112. The averageannual incidence rate of all cancers was 91.8 per 100,000 population with a higher rate for females (109.7)compared to males (74.3) The overall age standardized rate was 150.7 per 100,000. The highest incidence rate wasrecorded for the Southern part of the governorate (Abul-Khasib and Fao ) at 138.8 per 100,000 and the lowestwas for East of Basrah (Shatt-Arab District) at 78.0 per 100,000. With respect to cancer types, the main cancerswere those of breast, lung, larynx-pharynx, leukaemia, colon-rectum and urinary bladder. These six cancersaccounted for 51.5% of all reported cases. Other important cancers were those of brain, bones, pancreas andliver, accounting for a further 17.9%. Conclusions: The pattern of cancer in Basrah is generally similar to thepattern at the national level in terms of age, sex and topography but the incidence rate according to the presenthousehold survey is higher than any previously reported figures. Household surveys for cancer seem feasiblealbeit difficult and costly.