PATTERN OF CANCER IN MBARARA, UGANDA

Objective: To determine the pattern of cancer in Mbarara region.Design: Retrospective descriptive studySetting: Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Mbarara, southwesternUganda.Subjects: A total of 585 cancer patients diagnosed between 1995 and 1999 formed the basisof the analysis.Results: The most frequent cancers observed among males in their descending order wereKaposis sarcoma (KS), stomach, Non Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL), prostate and peniswhile in females cancer of cervix, breast, NHL, stomach and KS were found most frequent.Conclusion: This pattern was different from that of Kyadondo county, Uganda in whichstomach and penila cancer were found to be rare whereas oesophageal cancer was one ofthe commonest cancer in Kyadondo but rare in Mbarara. These differences which arediscussed in detail could be attributed to both environmental and genetic factors