Cancer in Africa: Is It a Genetic or Environmental Health Problem?

Abstract

Patients of African ancestry have the poorest outcome and the shortest survival rates from cancer globally. This could be attributed to many variables including racial, biological, socioeconomic and sociocultural factors (either single, multiple or combined), which may be responsible for this major health problem. We sought to assess the most common types of cancer that endanger the health of the African people, and tried to investigate the real differences between African and other Non-African patients regarding incidence, prevalence and mortality rates of different cancers. Therefore, identifying the underlying aetiological causes responsible for the increased incidence and mortality rates of African patients will allow for changing the current plans, to make optimized modalities for proper screening, diagnosis and treatment for those African patients, in order to improve their survival and outcomes.

Keywords: Africa; cancer; incidence; mortality; survival.

Figure 1

The number of new cancer cases in AFRO region. (A) In African females, (B) in African males. Reproduced from “The Global Cancer Observatory, Africa Globocan 2018” (3).

Figure 2

The top 10 cancers in African patients. (A) Age-standardized incidence rates per sex, (B) Age-standardized incidence and mortality rates. Reproduced from “The Global Cancer Observatory, Africa Globocan 2018” (3).

Figure 3

Regional status of incidence and mortality due to uterine cervical cancer (41).

Figure 4

The most common (A) cancer cases, (B) cancer deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa, both sexes combined, 2018 (3). Reproduced from “The Cancer Atlas,” canceratlas.cancer.org (73).

Figure 5

Incidence and mortality rates in selected countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2018 (3). Reproduced from “The Cancer Atlas,” canceratlas.cancer.org (73).