Prevalence and related factors of carcinoma among population in Macao during 2003 - 2007

Abstract

Understanding the prevalence of cancer among Macao residents to better carry out tertiary prevention and control program. Data was gathered from annual reports of Macao Cancer Registry of Health Bureau in 2003 - 2007, and demographic statistics of Statistics and Census Bureau Macau SAR Government in 1997 - 2006. Both International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems 10(th) Revision (ICD-10) were used to classify the diseases and causes of death. Excel 2003 was used for data input and data was analyzed with crude rate, velocity of increase of crude rate and cumulative risk. The average crude incidence rate of cancer was 237.2 per 100 000 among the Macao population, with age standardized incidence rate as 194.4 per 100 000;and crude mortality rate as 101.0 per 100 000. Lower gastrointestinal cancer had the highest crude incidence, with the crude incidence rate of prostate cancer rapidly increasing. Respiratory cancer and breast cancer appeared to be the highest crude incidences in both men and women, with the crude mortality rate (25.0 per 100 000) of respiratory cancer the highest. 72.9% of the tumors occurred at the age of 50 and above. However, 81.1% of the tumors occurred at 50 years old and above in men, with the occurrences of tumors of women distributed more evenly. Breast cancer and epithelial tumor commonly occurred in adolescents and young adults while respiratory cancer mostly seen in adulthood and the elderly. Residents were usually diagnosed of cancer at 61.0 years of age and death occurred at 70.5 year old. The prognosis of cancer of men was worse than women's. The worst prognosis of cancer was seen in liver and esophagus, with death occurred within 1 year after diagnosis was made. Breast cancer had the highest cumulative incidence rate, but respiratory cancer had the highest cumulative mortality rate. Both cumulative rates of incidence and mortality in women were lower than in men. The increase of crude cancer incidence rate was fast among Macao residents, but relatively slow with crude mortality rate. Respiratory and lower gastrointestinal tumors took the majority while prostate and breast cancer were by no means unimportant, which also called for tertiary prevention. People above 50 years old and all males should be listed as target population to receive preventive program on cancer.