Cancers

Excerpt

According to the 2002 estimates of cancer incidence for the Sub-Saharan Africa region, about half a million (530,000) new cases of cancer occurred annually, 251,000 in males and 279,000 in females. Table 20.3 shows the leading cancer types by region (including the northern Africa region) and by sex. Figure 20.2 shows the major cancer types in Sub-Saharan Africa; overall, world-standardized cancer rates were estimated to be 133 per 100,000 females and 136 per 100,000 males.

The top six cancers in males were the following:

1. Kaposi's sarcoma (15.9 percent)

2. liver (13.3 percent)

3. prostate (10.7 percent)

4. esophagus (6.0 percent)

5. non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (5.8 percent)

6. stomach (4.5 percent).

In females, the following were the leading cancers:

1. cervix (25.4 percent)

2. breast (17.4 percent)

3. Kaposi's sarcoma (6.2 percent)

4. liver (5.5 percent)

5. stomach (3.8 percent)

6. non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (3.8 percent).

Each of these cancers is briefly discussed in this chapter. In addition, tobacco-related cancers (especially lung cancer, which currently ranks seventh in males) and HIV-related cancers (cancers aside from Kaposi's sarcoma) are discussed, as these are likely to increase over time as both these epidemics mature.