title: Cancer survival in Harare, Zimbabwe, 1993-1997.
abstract: The Zimbabwe national cancer registry was established in 1985 as a population-based cancer registry covering Harare city. Cancer is not a notifiable disease, and registration of cases is done by active methods. The registry contributed data on randomly drawn sub-samples of Harare resident cases among 17 common cancer sites or types registered during 1993-1997 from black and white populations. Follow-up was carried out predominantly by active methods with median follow-up ranging from 1-54 months for different cancers. The proportion with histologically verified diagnosis for various cancers ranged from 20-100%; death certificate only (DCO) cases comprised 0-34%; 58-97% of total registered cases were included for survival analysis. Complete follow-up at five years ranged from 94-100%. Five-year age-standardized relative survival rates of selected cancers among both races combined were cervix (42%), breast (68%), Kaposi sarcoma (4%), liver (3%), oesophagus (12%), stomach (20%) and lung (14%). Survival was markedly higher among white than black populations for most cancers with adequate cases. Five-year relative survival by age group was fluctuating, with no definite pattern or trend.
authors.affiliation: Zimbabwe National Cancer Registry, Parirenyatwa Hospital, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe. cancer@ecoweb.co.zw
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Chokunonga
authors.forename: M Z
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Borok
authors.forename: Z M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Chirenje
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Nyabakau
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Parkin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D012042:Registries; D013997:Time Factors; D015030:Zimbabwe / Q000453:epidemiology