Cancer incidence in south-east Nigeria: a report from Nnewi Cancer Registry

Abstract

Background: This study is the first population based cancer incidence report from a cancer registry in south-east Nigeria.

Objective: To evaluate the incidence of some invasive cancers in southeast Nigeria.

Methodology: We collected all new cases of invasive cancers between 1^st January and 31^st December, 2013. We computed the age standardized incidence rate (ASRs) for all invasive cancers in men and women: prostate, breast, and cervical cancers; the mean age at diagnosis and the standard deviations of the means. The denominator population data used was that of the 2006 census conducted by the National Population Commission. We reported our results by gender and in 5 year age classes. We calculated the age-specific incidence rates per 100 000 per annum and age-standardized incidence rates per 100 000 per annum using the world standard population.

Results: We recorded a total of 722 new cases of invasive cancers, 43.8% in males and 56.2% in females. The mean age for the males was 58.9 ± 19.2 years while that of females was 53.1 ±14.7years. The five most common new cases of cancers in both males and females were cancers of breast (23.4%), prostate (15.1%), cervix (10.1%), colorectum (8.2%), and liver (6.7%).

Conclusion: We observed that the typical profile of incidence of the invasive cancers in southeast Nigeria is similar to those observed in the other zones in Nigeria earlier studied as well as those in the other parts of the world.

Keywords: Breast Cancer, Prostate Cancer, Cervical Cancer, Nigeria