A changing pattern of cancer–related mortality in Basrah

Cancer is a growing health problem with substantial mortality. A high mortality reflects high incidence, late detection and inadequate management. The objective of this study is to examine the time changes of mortality rate of cancer in Basrah. The results presented in this article are all based on officially registered cancer deaths in Basrah Governorate on selected years. Cancer of lung and bronchus, breast cancer, CNS tumors, all types of leukemia, secondaries of unknown primary site, urinary bladder cancer, stomach cancer, cancer of pancreas and cancer of liver and biliary system were the leading causes of cancer related death and accounted for 68.7%. The time trend showed some tendency for mortality rates to increase over years for most cancers except a noticeable decline in recent years. In conclusion, cancer is a major cause of death in Basrah accounting for nearly 10% of all officially registered deaths. An initial modest increase followed by some tendency to decrease in mortality rate is noticed. Further comprehensive studies are highly recommended.