[Incidence of cancer in Mauritius in 1989-1993]

Systematic registration of cases of cancer was introduced in Mauritius as of 1989. This article analyzes the data concerning the incidence and mortality of the disease from 1989 to 1993. At the end of each year, the archives of the Central Laboratory of Hospitals, the admissions register at the only center for radiotherapy, the discharge résumés of patients classified as suffering from cancer of all the regional hospitals and the archives of the Medical Assistance Service regarding treatment abroad were examined and information drawn from them in order to fill out the information form of the cancer register (10 items per case). For the period studied, 4293 new cases of cancer were detected of which 1784 (41.6%) among men. The main organs affected were, for men: the lungs (12%), the mouth/pharynx (10%), and the stomach (8%); for women: the breast (24%), the cervix (21%), and the ovaries (6%). The incidence of cancer has increased at an annual average of 8% for both sexes, reaching in 1993 the standard (world) incidence of respectively 106 and 122 cases per 100,000. Over the same period, cancer rose to 2nd to 3rd place in causes of death, accounting for approximately 8 to 9% of deaths. The ratio of mortality/incidence is 0.85 among men and 0.58 among women. The distribution of cancer according to age, location and ethnic group points to interesting and significant results which can be subsequently compared to that of other countries in the region. The second phase of registering cancer in Mauritius is presently being undertaken.