Oesophageal cancer: a common malignancy in young people of Bomet District, Kenya.
Oesophageal cancer is a common cancer with uneven geographical distribution. We reviewed all malignancies diagnosed at Tenwek Hospital (Bomet District, Kenya) between 1989 and 1998. Oesophageal cancer was the most common malignancy; 274 cases accounted for 19% of 1459 malignancies diagnosed, and for a steady rise in total cancer cases during this period. A striking feature of our study was the presence of a subset of very young patients. 26 (11%) patients were aged 30 years or less at diagnosis, and the youngest patient was 14 years old. This area of West Kenya seems to be a high-risk region for oesophageal cancer.
White
Russell E
RE
Tenwek Hospital, PO Box 39, Bomet, Kenya. rwhite@maf.or.ke
Abnet
Christian C
CC
Mungatana
Caesar K
CK
Dawsey
Sanford M
SM
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology