title: Oesophageal cancer: a common malignancy in young people of Bomet District, Kenya.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Tenwek Hospital, PO Box 39, Bomet, Kenya. rwhite@maf.or.ke
authors.forename: Russell E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: Christian C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Abnet
authors.forename: Caesar K
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Mungatana
authors.forename: Sanford M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Dawsey
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology