Cancer in Iraq: distribution by primary tumor site

ABSTRACT

Little is known about the pattern of cancer in Iraq. The aim of this paper is to report the pattern of cancer in Iraq by primary tumor site in the largest series of Iraqi patients with cancer. During a five-year period [2000-2004] 63923 Iraqi patients, with various types of newly diagnosed cancer were registered by the Iraqi Ministry of Health from all Iraqi provinces with exception of 3 Northern provinces [Sulaimanyia, Erbil, and Dohouk]. 32281 patients were males [50.5%] and 31652 patients were females [49.5%].Breast was by far the most common site of cancer accounted for 16% of all Iraqi patients. Lungs and the bronchi were the second most common site of cancer and the first most common site in males. Cancer in the lung and bronchus accounted for 8% of all cancers. Leukemia was the third most common cancer in Iraq accounting for 7% of all cancers. The four most commonly diagnosed types of cancer among males were cancers of the lung and bronchus, bladder, leukemia and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma [NHL], accounting for about 37.7% of estimated cancer cases in males. The four most commonly diagnosed types of cancer among females were cancers of the breast, leukemia, uterus including cervix and corpus] and cancers of brain and CNS, accounting for about 47.5% of estimated cancer cases in females. Breast cancer alone is accounted for% [31%] of all new cancer cases among females. The pattern of cancer in Iraq by primary tumor site is rather different from the pattern in other countries like USA, Nigeria and European countries