Morbidity from cancer in Lebanon.

Abstract

Of 1950 newly diagnosed cases of cancer and leukemia in Lebanon there were 760 Lebanese males, 747 females and 443 patients from neighboring Arab countries. Estimates of the total newly diagnosed Lebanese cases were 1,043 males and 1,029 females for a yearly incidence rate of 102.8 and 104.1 per 100,000, respectively. These low rates were attributed to low age-specific rates and to relatively few people older than 50. In males the skin was the most frequent primary site of cancer (17.1 per 100,000); next were the urinary bladder, lung and larynx. In females the breast was the most frequent primary site (16.4 per 100,000); next were the uterine cervix and skin. Significantly fewer cases were identified among Moslems than among Christians. Cancer of the lung was twice as frequent in Moslem as in Christian males and cancer of the cervix and breast was relatively as frequent in Moslem as in Christian females. Age-adjusted rates for cancer of the stomach, rectum and prostate were low. High rates were observed for cancer of the larynx.