Pattern and Incidence of Cancer at El Obeid Hospital; Western Sudan

Background:The growing population of elderly people; the changes in life style; the new dietary habits and the HIV pandemic resulted in more exposure to cancer promoting factors in developing countries; including Sudan. Sudan is a large county with different climatic regions and the population has wide diversity of ethnic groups with varying cultures. Nevertheless; the burden of cancer in the different regions of the country is unknown.Objectives: To study the incidence rate and the pattern of cancer at El Obeid Teaching Hospital; Western Sudan. Patients and Methods: The records of all patients admitted with cancer to the wards of El ObeidTeaching Hospital; Western Sudan during 2006 and 2007 were studied. The cancers were classified according to the organs affected and then ranked in their order of relative frequency. The mean age; age range; gender; the incidence rates and the relative frequency rates were calculated. Results: There were 111 new cancer patients in 2006 and 169 patients in 2007. Females were 52.9of cases.The mean ages were 61.8 and 56.8 years for males and females respectively.Cancer of the gastrointestinal tract is the most common malignancy in both sexes; followed by breast and then cervical cancer in females; while it was followed by leukaemia in males. Hepatocellular; oesophageal; gastric and recto-sigmoid were the main gut cancers.Conclusions: Cancer of the gastrointestinal tract was the commonest malignancy at El Obeid Hospital; Western Sudan. Establishment of a local radiation and isotopes centre is needed in this part of the country to provide oncology services and integrate preventive programs. A regional cancer registry centre supplements the national efforts to evaluate the magnitude of the problem in order to plan further future strategies

Acute Abdomen at El Obeid Hospital; Western Sudan

Background: Acute abdominal pain is the presenting complaint in emergency departments of all hospitals worldwide; resulting in a huge drain of human and non-human resources. Objectives: To study the pattern; causes and management outcomes of patients presenting with acute abdomen to El Obeid Hospital; Western Sudan. Patients and Methods: This was a prospective study. All patients who presented with acute abdomen to the University Surgical Unit at El Obeid Hospital between January 1999 and December 2000 were included. The patient characteristics; clinical features; investigations; management and postoperative care were recorded in a pre-designed sheet. Results: There were 421 patients. 242 were males (57.5). Acute appendicitis was the commonest cause accounting for 63of the patients; followed by acute intestinal obstruction 20.4and abdominal trauma 11.6.One third of the patients with acute appendicitis reported with complications. The majority of acute intestinal obstruction cases were due to obstructed and/or strangulated hernia. Acute cholecystitis and perforated duodenal ulcers were not common. Perforated typhoid ulcers and tuberculous peritonitis were less frequent but had high mortality. The overall mortality was 8.5and those deaths occurred mostly in patients presenting late with generalized peritonitis. Conclusions: Acute abdomen was a common surgical emergency at El Obeid Hospital; Western Sudan. The leading causes were acute appendicitis; acute intestinal obstruction and abdominal trauma. Awareness of the seriousness of the condition and better hospital facilities and care may reduce an unacceptable high mortality