Background The incidence of cancer continues to rise all over the world and current projections show that there will be 1.27 million new cases and almost 1 million deaths by 2030. In view of the rising incidence of cancer in sub-Saharan Africa, urgent steps are needed to guide appropriate policy, health sector investment and resource allocation. We posit that hospital based cancer registries (HBCR) are fundamental sources of information on the frequent cancer sites in limited resource regions where population level data is often unavailable. In regions where population based cancer registries are not in existence, HBCR are beneficial for policy and planning. Materials and Methods Nineteen of twenty-one cancer registries in Nigeria met the definition of HBCR, and from these registries, we requested data on cancer cases recorded from January 2009 to December 2010. 16 of the 19 registries (84%) responded. Data on year hospital was established; year cancer registry was established, no of pathologists and types of oncology services available in each tertiary health facility were shown. Analysis of relative frequency of cancers in each HBCR, the basis of diagnosis recorded in the HBCR and the total number of cases recorded by gender was carried out. Results The total number of cancers registered in these 11 hospital based cancer registries in 2009 and 2010 was 6484. The number of new cancer cases recorded annually in these hospital based cancer registries on average were 117 cases in males and I77 cases in females. Breast and cervical cancer were the most common cancers seen in women while prostate cancer was the commonest among men seen in these tertiary hospitals. Conclusion Information provided by HBCR is beneficial and can be utilized for the improvement of cancer care delivery systems in low and middle income countries where there are no population based cancer registries.

The epidemiological transition in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has given rise to a concomitant increase in the incidence of non-communicable diseases including cancers. Worldwide, cancer registries have been shown to be critical for the determination of cancer burden, conduct of research, and in the planning and implementation of cancer control measures. Cancer registration though vital is often neglected in SSA owing to competing demands for resources for healthcare. We report the implementation of a system for representative nation-wide cancer registration in Nigeria – the Nigerian National System of Cancer Registries (NSCR). The NSCR coordinates the activities of cancer registries in Nigeria, strengthens existing registries, establishes new registries, complies and analyses data, and makes these freely available to researchers and policy makers. We highlight the key challenges encountered in implementing this strategy and how they were overcome. This report serves as a guide for other low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) wishing to expand cancer registration coverage in their countries and highlights the training, mentoring, scientific and logistic support, and advocacy that are crucial to sustaining cancer registration programs in LMIC.

The incidence of prostate cancer in Port Harcourt is high relative to other Nigerian centers where similar studies have been carried out and compares well with the high incidence found among African American men. Histologically, all cases are acinar adenocarcinomas. Most patients present late with high GS carcinoma and therefore have poor prognosis. There is a need for enlightenment of the male populace on the high incidence of this deadly disease as well as for screening to reduce the number of patients presenting late and therefore improve prognosis.

PurposeTo determine the causes of death and associated risk factors among women of reproductive age (WRA) in a tertiary institution in Port Harcourt, Nigeria.Patients and methodsThis was a retrospective survey of all deaths in women aged 15–49 years at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital that occurred from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2015. Data retrieved from ward registers, death registers, and death certificates were analyzed with Epi Info version 7. Comparison of socioeconomic and demographic risk factors for maternal and nonmaternal deaths was done using a multivariate logistic regression model.ResultsThere were 340 deaths in the WRA group over the 3-year period. The majority (155 [45.6%]) of the women were aged 30–39 years. There were 265 (77.9%) nonmaternal deaths and 75 (22.1%) maternal deaths. Among the nonmaternal deaths, 124 (46.8%) had infectious diseases, with human immunodeficiency virus being the most common cause of infection in this group. Breast cancer (13 [4.9%]), cervical cancer (12 [4.5%]), and ovarian cancer (11 [4.2%]) were the most common malignant neoplasms observed. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (31 [41.3%]) and puerperal sepsis (20 [26.7%]) were the most common causes of maternal deaths. Age and occupation were significantly associated with deaths in WRA (p<0.05). Older women aged >30 years (odd ratio =1.86, 95% CI =1.07–3.23) and employed women (odds ratio =2.55, 95% CI =1.46–4.45) were more likely to die from nonmaternal than maternal causes.ConclusionMost of the deaths were nonmaternal. Infectious diseases, diseases of the circulatory system, and malignant neoplasms were the major causes of death among WRA, with maternal deaths accounting for approximately a quarter. Public health programs educating women on safer sex practices, early screening for cancers, benefits of antenatal care, and skilled attendants at delivery will go a long way to reducing preventable causes of deaths among these women.

Background Like many countries in Africa, Nigeria is improving the quality and coverage of its cancer surveillance. This work is essential to address this growing category of chronic diseases, but is made difficult by economic, geographic and other challenges. Purpose To evaluate the completeness, comparability and diagnostic validity of Nigeria’s cancer registries. Methods Completeness was measured using children’s age-specific incidence (ASI) and an established metric based on a modified Poisson distribution with regional comparisons. We used a registry questionnaire as well as percentages of death-certificate-only cases, morphologically verified cases, and case registration errors to examine comparability and diagnostic validity. Results Among the children’s results, we found that over half of all cancers were non-Hodgkin lymphoma. There was also evidence of incompleteness. Considering the regional completeness comparisons, we found potential evidence of cancer-specific general incompleteness as well as what appears to be incompleteness due to inability to diagnose specific cancers. We found that registration was generally comparable, with some exceptions. Since autopsies are not common across Nigeria, coding for both them and death-certificate-only cases was also rare. With one exception, registries in our study had high rates of morphological verification of female breast, cervical and prostate cancers. Conclusions Nigeria’s registration procedures were generally comparable to each other and to international standards, and we found high rates of morphological verification, suggesting high diagnostic validity. There was, however, evidence of incompleteness.