Cancer incidence and mortality rates and trends in Trinidad and Tobago

Wayne A Warner,Adetunji T Toriola,Jingqin Luo,Allana Roach,Marjorie Lamont-Greene,Tanisha M Williams,Melissa Bondy,Tammy Y Lee,Nigel A Bascombe,Adana A M Llanos,Ravi Maharaj,Simeon Slovacek,Vasavi Sundaram,Timothy R Rebbeck,Smriti Bajracharya,Matthew J Ellis,Kimberly Badal

doi:10.1186/s12885-018-4625-x

Abstract

BackgroundCancer is the second leading cause of death in the Caribbean, including the islands of Trinidad and Tobago (TT). The population of TT consists of over 1.3 million people with diverse ancestral and sociocultural backgrounds, both of which may influence cancer incidence and mortality. The objective of this study was to examine incidence and mortality patterns and trends in TT.MethodsCancer surveillance data on 29,512 incident cancer cases reported to the Dr. Elizabeth Quamina Cancer Registry (population-based cancer registry of TT) between 1995 and 2009 were analyzed. Age-standardized rates, overall and by sex, ancestry, and geography, were reported.ResultsThe highest incidence and mortality rates were observed for cancers related to reproductive organs in women, namely, breast, cervical, and uterine cancers, and prostate, lung and colorectal cancers among men. Average incidence rates were highest in areas covered by the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) (188 per 100,000), while average mortality rates were highest in areas covered by the North West Regional Health Authority (108 per 100,000). Nationals of African ancestry exhibited the highest rates of cancer incidence (243 per 100,000) and mortality (156 per 100,000) compared to their counterparts who were of East Indian (incidence, 125 per 100,000; mortality, 66 per 100,000) or mixed ancestry (incidence, 119 per 100,000; mortality, 66 per 100,000).ConclusionsOur findings highlight the need for national investment to improve the understanding of the epidemiology of cancer in Trinidad and Tobago, and to ultimately guide much needed cancer prevention and control initiatives in the near future.

Highlights

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the Caribbean, including the islands of Trinidad and Tobago (TT)
Average incidence rates were highest in areas covered by the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) (188 per 100,000), followed by North West Regional Health Authority (NWRHA) (173 per 100,000), and North Central Regional Health Authority (NCRHA) (153 per 100,000), compared to Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA) (139 per 100,000) and South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) (131 per 100,000)
We found that incident cases of prostate, lung, colon, stomach, and hematologic cancers were most common among men, while among women, the cancers with the highest incidence were breast, cervical, endometrial, colon, and ovarian

Summary

Introduction

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the Caribbean, including the islands of Trinidad and Tobago (TT). While the Trinidad population consists of diverse ancestral groups (including African (31.76%), East Indian (37.01%), Mixed ancestry (23.52%), Chinese, White, and Syrian/Lebanese (< 1%)), as well as religious groups (including Christian, Muslim, and Hindu), the population in Tobago is predominantly of African ancestry (85.29%) and Christian [11, 12]. These demographic patterns have resulted in customs and traditions that have marked the sociocultural development of the islands [13]. Research on the epidemiology and etiology of cancers in TT, in relation to the environment, lifestyle and ancestry, is essential for the success of cancer prevention and control programs and policies

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