Neoplastic diseases in Aleppo, Syria

The objective of this study was to determine the pattern of occurrence and distribution of different types of neoplastic diseases in Aleppo, Syria, during one year. The study was set in Aleppo Governorate, Syria with a population of 2.7 million. Information about newly diagnosed cases of cancer was obtained from pathology labs ( =12) and general hospitals ( =5) in the city between August 1998 and August 1999. Pre-piloted charts were distributed to the labs and one of the labs staff was instructed on how to fill them. Information about benign tumours was also gathered. Between August 1998 and August 1999, 1802 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in Aleppo Governorate (970 in men and 832 in women), giving an overall crude incidence rate of 72.8 per 100 000 person-years for this population. The mean age of patients diagnosed with malignant tumours was 51.2 +/- 21.3 and 47.6 +/- 18.5 for males and females, respectively. In males, age-adjusted incidence rates were higher for bladder, leukaemia and lung cancers, in that order. In females age-adjusted incidence rates were higher for breast, uterus (+ cervix) and leukaemia. In conclusion, the presented data represent the first attempt to use standardized methodology to arrive at approximate estimates of the rate of occurrence of different cancers in Aleppo, Syria, and to characterize their patterns and distribution within the population. It calls for the importance of establishing a reliable cancer registry in Syria.