Cancer incidence, mortality, and survival in Eastern Libya: updated report from the Benghazi Cancer Registry.
OBJECTIVE
Despite the increasing burden of cancer occurred over recent years in the African continent, epidemiologic data from Northern Africa area have been so far sparse or absent. We present most recently available data from the Benghazi Cancer Registry concerning cancer incidence and mortality as well as the most comprehensive survival data set so far generated for cases diagnosed during 2003 to 2005 in Eastern Libya.


METHODS
We collected and analyzed data on cancer incidence, mortality and survival that were obtained over a 3-year study period from January 1st 2003 to December 31st 2005 from the Benghazi Cancer Registry.


RESULTS
A total of 3307 cancer patients were registered among residents during the study period. The world age-standardized incidence rate for all sites was 135.4 and 107.1 per 100,000 for males and females, respectively. The most common malignancies in men were cancers of lung (18.9%), colorectum (10.4%), bladder (10.1%), and prostate (9.4%); among women, they were breast (23.2%), colorectum (11.2%), corpus uteri (6.7%), and leukemia (5.1%). A total of 1367 deaths for cancer were recorded from 2003 to 2005; the leading causes of cancer death were cancers of the lung (29.3%), colorectum (8.2%), and brain (7.3%) in males and cancers of breast (14.8%), colorectum (10.6%), and liver (7%) in females. The 5-year relative survival for all cancer combined was 22.3%; survival was lower in men (19.8%) than in women (28.2%).


CONCLUSIONS
This study provides an updated report on cancer incidence, mortality, and survival, in Eastern Libya which may represent a useful tool for planning future interventions toward a better cancer control.
Department of Oncology, Weill Cornell Medical College, Doha, Qatar.
Mufid
M
El Mistiri
Department of Diagnostic, Clinical and Public Health Medicine, Modena Cancer Center, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy. Electronic address: maxsalati@live.it.
Massimiliano
M
Salati
Department of Diagnostic, Clinical and Public Health Medicine, Modena Cancer Center, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Luigi
L
Marcheselli
Faculty of Medicine, Benghazi University, Benghazi, Libya.
Adel
A
Attia
Faculty of Medicine, Omar Al Mukhtar University, Bayda, Libya.
Salah
S
Habil
Faculty of Medicine, Omar Al Mukhtar University, Bayda, Libya.
Faraj
F
Alhomri
Cancer Research UK Cancer Survival Group, Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Devon
D
Spika
Cancer Research UK Cancer Survival Group, Department of Non-Communicable Disease Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Claudia
C
Allemani
Department of Diagnostic, Clinical and Public Health Medicine, Modena Cancer Center, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
Massimo
M
Federico
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016021:Epidemiologic Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008002:Libya / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality*; D011159:Population Surveillance / Q000379:methods*; D012042:Registries / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016019:Survival Analysis; D055815:Young Adult
Cancer survival; Epidemiology; Libya; Northern Africa; Population-based cancer registry