Five years of Cancer Registration at Zaria (1992 - 1996)

From January 1992 to December 1996, a total number of 1887 new cancer cases were registered at the hospital-based cancer registry (CR) of Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria. There were 878 (46.6% ) males and 1008 (53.4% ) females with male to female ratio M:F 1:1.12. Malignant lymphoma, 198 (22.5% ) was the commonest cancer in men. This was followed by carcinoma of the urinary bladder, 103 (11.7% ) and prostate, 81 (9.2% ). In women cancer of the cervix, 256 (25.35), breast 223 (22.1% ) and malignant lymphoma, 72 (3.1% ) were the commonest in that order. All the four new cases of cancer of the lung occurred in men. Brain tumour is rare and occurred during childhood. Data were collected from various sources within the hospital complex through active reporting. International classification of disease (ICD) 9th edition by WHO was utilised in the classification of primary sites of cancer. Cancer, a non-communicable disease is increasingly becoming a major public health concern, hence the need for a national policy formulation for its management and control.