Cancer incidence in Abidjan, Ivory Coast: first results from the cancer registry, 1995-1997.

Abstract

There are few data concerning cancer incidence rates in contemporary West Africa. The first data from the cancer registry of Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast, for the period 1995-1997 are reported in the current study. The cancer registry attempts to record data on all new cases of cancer diagnosed in the city of Abidjan, including cases without histologic confirmation of diagnosis. Two thousand eight hundred fifteen new cancer cases were registered in 3 years, corresponding to age-standardized (world population) incidence rates of 83.7 per 100,000 in men and 98. 6 per 100,000 in women. As reported elsewhere in West Africa, the principal cancers in men were liver cancer (15%) and prostate cancer (15.8%), with modest rates of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (10.5%) and gastric cancer (4.5%). In women, breast cancer was the most frequent tumor (25.7%), followed by cervical cancer (24.0%) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (7.3%). In contrast to other registry data from West Africa, Kaposi sarcoma occurs with moderate frequency (7.7% of cases reported in men and 2.1% in women). In the pediatric age group, relatively high incidence rates were found for Burkitt lymphoma. Although there most likely is some underascertainment of cases, so that the actual incidence rates may be underestimated, the cancer profile should be a fair reflection of the true situation. In addition to tumors that are well known to be common in sub-Saharan Africa, such as cancers of the liver and cervix, this urban population shows some features of "Westernization" of cancer patterns, in particular the relatively high rates of breast cancer and prostate cancer. The effects of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome epidemic are reflected in the moderate rates of Kaposi sarcoma reported.