DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2017.v05i05.047

Pages: 1948-1952

Cancer remains a major public health problem with significant morbidity and mortality worldwide including Nigeria. This study assessed prevalence of cancer among patients managed at the Hematology/Oncology clinics of a tertiary care hospital in South-South Nigeria. This observational, cross-sectional retrospective study, reviewed a ten-year medical records of cancer patients managed at a tertiary care hospital in South-South, Nigeria. It was conducted from November 2015 to February 2016 after ethical approval was granted by the institutional ethical committee. The patients’ medical records files were consecutively selected. Seven hundred and eighty two (782) eligible cancer patients’ medical records were reviewed. Thirty different cancer types were observed. The most prevalent cancers in rank order include breast cancer 260 (33.2), prostate cancer 202 (26.2%), cervical cancer 48(6.1%), liver cancer 57(7.3%). Overall, cancer was more prevalent in females 456 (58.3%) than in males 328(41.7%). In females, breast cancer was the most common cancer, while in males prostate cancer was the most common cancer 202 (25.8%). Overall, patients in the age-group of 61 to 70years were most commonly affected 153 (19.6%) by cancer. In general, cancer affected more females than males. However, breast cancer was the most prevalent cancer; this was followed by prostate cancer. In female patients, breast cancer was more common, while prostate cancer was more common among males. However, breast cancer affected majority of the patients within the age-group of 41 and 50 years. Thus, this study has provided information on the demand for cancer care services as well as information needed for cancer policy and planning in Nigeria.