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Akintola A, Odutola M, Olayinka T, et al., editors. Cancer in Nigeria: 2009 – 2016 [Internet]. Nigeria: Nigerian National System of Cancer Registries; 2021.

Cover of Cancer in Nigeria

Cancer in Nigeria: 2009 – 2016 [Internet].

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Anambra State

Background

Anambra State is in the south-eastern part of Nigeria. It is bounded on the west by Imo, to the south by Rivers State, to the east by Enugu State and to the north by Kogi State. The capital of Anambra State is Awka.

Anambra State is densely populated with a population of 4,177,828 (2,117,984 males and 2,059,844 females) [4]. This accounts for 3.0% of Nigeria’s population (NPC, 2006).

Figure 4.1. Map of Anambra State.

Figure 4.1Map of Anambra State

The state lies on coordinates 6°20′N 7°00′E. It has a land mass of 4,844 square kilometres and a population density of 860 people per square kilometres.

People and ethnicity

The indigenous ethnic groups in Anambra state are the Igbo (98%) and a small population of Igala (2%). Onitsha and Nnewi are the biggest commercial cities in the state. The major occupations in the state are farming and trading. The state is rich in natural gas, crude oil, bauxite, and ceramic.

Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital Cancer Registry

The Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital (NAUTH) Cancer Registry was established as Hospital Based Cancer Registry in year 2009. The registry is located within the Pathology Department of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Teaching Hospital, Awka. The registry actively collects cancer cases from various departments in the hospital.

Cancer Cases in NAUTH Cancer Registry

The NAUTH Cancer Registry had a total 3,626 cases of cancer in the 8-year period from 2009 to 2016. A total of 2,096 (57.8%) were reported in females and 1,530 (42.2%) in males. The average number of cases observed per year during the 8-year period was 453.

Figure 4.2. Number of cancer cases by year, 2009 to 2016.

Figure 4.2Number of cancer cases by year, 2009 to 2016

The commonest cancer in females was breast cancer (40.9%; 844 cases) followed by cancer of the cervix (15.1%; 311 cases) as shown in figure 4.3. Together, these two cancers account for 55.0% of all cancers occurring in females.

Figure 4.3. Top 10 Cancer sites in females, 2009 to 2016.

Figure 4.3

Top 10 Cancer sites in females, 2009 to 2016.

The commonest cancer in males was prostate cancer (50.0%; 743 cases) followed by colorectal cancer (7.5%; 112 cases) as shown in figure 4.4. Together, these two cancers account for 57.5% of all cancers occurring in males in NAUTH Cancer Registry.

Figure 4.4. Top 10 Cancer sites in males, 2009 to 2016.

Figure 4.4

Top 10 Cancer sites in males, 2009 to 2016.

The Table 4.1 shows the new cancer cases by age group among females from ages 0 to 85+ years within the 8-year period, while Table 4.2 shows the new cancer cases by age group among males from ages 0 to 85+ years within the 8-year period.

Table 4.1. Number of cancer cases by age group among females in NAUTH Cancer Registry, 2009 to 2016.

Table 4.1

Number of cancer cases by age group among females in NAUTH Cancer Registry, 2009 to 2016.

Table 4.2. Number of cancer cases by age group among males in NAUTH Cancer Registry, 2009 to 2016.

Table 4.2

Number of cancer cases by age group among males in NAUTH Cancer Registry, 2009 to 2016.

Basis of Diagnosis

The most common basis of diagnosis was the histology of the primary tumor (46.0%, 1658 cases), followed by clinical diagnosis (32.0%, 1161 cases).

Figure 4.5. Basis of Diagnosis for NAUTH Cancer Registry, 2009 to 2016.

Figure 4.5Basis of Diagnosis for NAUTH Cancer Registry, 2009 to 2016

© Nigerian National System of Cancer Registries.

Published under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Users are allowed to share (copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format) and adapt (remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially), as long as the authors and the publisher are explicitly identified and properly acknowledged as the original source.

Bookshelf ID: NBK581078

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