title: Colorectal cancer in Central Tunisia: increasing incidence trends over a 15-year period.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Significant variation in colorectal cancer incidence rates and trends has been observed across countries. Data from Tunisia are sparse. In this paper, we analyzed trends in incidence rates of the colorectal cancer over a 15-year period, 1993-2007, in Central Tunisia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five-year age-specific rates, crude incidence rates, world age-standardized rates, and annual percent change were calculated using annual data on population size and its estimated age structure.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1,443 incident cases of colorectal cancer were registered, with a male to-female sex ratio of 1.1:1. The world age-standardized rate was 10.0 per 100,000 among females and 11.7 among males. Over time, there were significant increasing trends by +2.6% (95% CI: 0.1%, 5.1%) and +5.3% (95% CI: 2.7%, 7.9%) for females and males, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The absence of a screening program for colorectal cancer could explain the increasing trends observed among males and females in Central Tunisia. Our findings point the need to plan and develop effective programs aimed at the control and prevention of the spread of colorectal cancer in Tunisia.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Epidemiology and Cytopathology in Tunisian Center, Medicine Faculty, Sousse, Tunisia. missaouinabiha@live.fr
authors.forename: Nabiha
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Missaoui
authors.forename: Lilia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jaidaine
authors.forename: Atef Ben
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Abdelkader
authors.forename: Amel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trabelsi
authors.forename: Moncef
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mokni
authors.forename: Sihem
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hmissa
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012042:Registries; D014416:Tunisia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult