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. 2020 Feb:6:224-232.
doi: 10.1200/JGO.19.00270.

Cancer Mortality Patterns in Tanzania: A Retrospective Hospital-Based Study, 2006-2015

Emanuel P Lyimo  1 , Susan F Rumisha  1   2 , Irene R Mremi  1   2 , Chacha D Mangu  3 , Coleman Kishamawe  4 , Mercy G Chiduo  5 , Lucas E Matemba  1   6 , Veneranda M Bwana  7 , Isolide S Massawe  5 , Leonard E G Mboera  1   2
Affiliations

Cancer Mortality Patterns in Tanzania: A Retrospective Hospital-Based Study, 2006-2015

Emanuel P Lyimo et al. JCO Glob Oncol. 2020 Feb.

Abstract

Purpose: This retrospective study sought to determine the type, burden, and pattern of cancer deaths in public hospitals in Tanzania from 2006 to 2015.

Methods: This study analyzed data on cancer mortality in 39 hospitals in Tanzania. Data on the age and sex of the deceased and type of cancer were extracted from hospital death registers and report forms. Cancer types were grouped according to the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases. Age-standardized mortality rates and cancer mortality patterns were analyzed. A χ2 test was used to examine the association between common cancers and selected covariates.

Results: A total of 12,621 cancer-related deaths occurred during the 10-year period, which translates to an age-standardized hospital-based mortality rate of 47.8 per 100,000 population. Overall, the number of deaths was notably higher (56.5%) among individuals in the 15- to 59-year-old age category and disproportionately higher among females than males (P = .0017). Cancers of the cervix, esophagus, and liver were the 3 major causes of death across all study hospitals in Tanzania. Cancers of the cervix, esophagus, and liver were the largest contributors to mortality burden among females. Among males, cancers of the esophagus, liver, and prostate were the leading cause of mortality.

Conclusion: There is an increasing trend in cancer mortality over recent years in Tanzania, which differs with respect to age, sex, and geographic zones. These findings provide a basis for additional studies to ascertain incidence rates and survival probabilities, and highlight the need to strengthen awareness campaigns for early detection, access to care, and improved diagnostic capabilities.

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Conflict of interest statement

The following represents disclosure information provided by authors of this manuscript. All relationships are considered compensated unless otherwise noted. Relationships are self-held unless noted. I = Immediate Family Member, Inst = My Institution. Relationships may not relate to the subject matter of this manuscript. For more information about ASCO's conflict of interest policy, please refer to www.asco.org/rwc or ascopubs.org/go/site/misc/authors.html.

Open Payments is a public database containing information reported by companies about payments made to US-licensed physicians (Open Payments).

No potential conflicts of interest were reported.

Figures

FIG 1
FIG 1
Age-standardized mortality rates.
FIG 2
FIG 2
Cancer rates according to region.
FIG 3
FIG 3
Percentage of cancer deaths by cancer type and stratified by age.
FIG 4
FIG 4
Percentage of total cancer deaths by year.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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