Cancer mortality in the urological department of the Sylvanus Olympio Teaching Hospital in Lome, Togo.

Abstract

To determine the proportion of cancer mortality seen in the urology department of a teaching hospital in sub-Saharan Africa and to identify the contributing factors. This 10-year retrospective study took place in the urology department of the Sylvanus Olympio Teaching Hospital of Lomé (Togo) and analyzed the records of patients who died of cancer from January 2006 through December 2015. During the study period, 94 deaths were recorded in the department, 84% of them due to a urological cancer. The mean age of patients was 62 years,- and there was a significant male predominance with a sex ratio of 4.3. Prostate cancer was the most common cause of death, accounting for 49 (62%) cases. The mean duration of symptoms was 2.4 months. At diagnosis, 75.9% of patients were metastatic and 66% had comorbidities, such as high blood pressure or diabetes. Palliative treatment was instituted for 87.3% of patients. Deterioration of their general condition was the immediate cause of death in 71% of cases. Urological cancers remain a challenge for specialists in Togo, especially because they are characterized by late presentation with diagnosis at the metastatic stage. Their prognosis is aggravated by the presence of comorbidities.