Audit of Referral Pattern of Cancer Cases to the Radiotherapy and Oncology Unit of a Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria

Abstract

Objectives: This study assessed the types of cancer cases referred to Radiotherapy and oncology unit of
Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) Zaria, and determine the age, sex, and geopolitical
zones distributions of cancer cases in ABUTH, Zaria.
Methods: A retrospective study was conducted reviewing all cancer cases referred to the centre, for a
period of 10 years (2004 – 2013). Ethical approval was obtained from the ethical committee of the hospital.
Data capture sheet was used to collect information from the patient’s folder and this was analysed using
statistical package for social sciences version 20.0
Results: Three thousand nine hundred and thirty four (3934) patient’s records were reviewed. Patient’s age
ranged from 0 -110 years, with a mean age of 42.4 years. Patients within the age range of 31 to 60 years had
the highest cancer incidence. A total of 37 types of cancer were diagnosed with cervical cancer having the
highest incidence of 1083 (27.5%). This was followed by head and neck 821 (20.9%). Intestinal cancer had
the least incidence of 1 (0.02%). Female cancer cases predominated with a female to male ratio of 1.8:1.
North-western Nigeria had the highest cancer incidence of 1656 (42.1%).
Conclusion: This study found high incidence of cancer cases among adults age ranged 31 to 60 years with
female to male ratio of 1.8:1. Cervical cancer had the highest incidence among the 37 cancer spectrum
treated at the centre. The North-western Nigeria had the highest incidence of cancer cases.