The incidence of lung cancer in the Gulf Cooperation Council countries.

BACKGROUND: Lung cancer is the most common cancer in the world, with an estimated number of 1.3 million new cases as of 2002. This is the first report from the countries that comprise the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). PATIENTS AND METHODS: All the primary lung cancer cases registered in the Gulf Center for Cancer Registration during 1998 to 2001 were used to calculate the age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) per 100,000 person-years by the direct standardization method. RESULTS: Overall, there were 1607 (1261 males, 346 females) primary lung cancer cases registered during this period with the male to female ratio of 3.6:1. The highest ASR was in Bahrain (34.3 for males, 12.1 for females) followed by Qatar (18.5 for males, 5.5 for females) and Kuwait (13.8 for males, 4.0 for females); the lowest rate was in Saudi Arabia (4.8 for males, 1.3 for females). The mean age at diagnosis for males ranged from 68.7 years in Bahrain to 59.2 years in Oman. For females it ranged from 68.2 years in Bahrain to 58.0 years in Oman. Squamous cell carcinoma in males (except in Qatar) and adenocarcinoma in females were the predominant histological type. CONCLUSIONS: Cancer of the lung is one of the common cancers among males in all the GCC countries and ranks second among Bahraini females. Adenocarcinomas were more common in women than men.

Cancer epidemiology and control in the arab world - past, present and future.

The Arab world, stretching from Lebanon and Syria in the north, through to Morocco in the west, Yemen in the south and Iraq in the east, is the home of more than 300 million people. Cancer is already a major problem and the lifestyle changes underlying the markedly increasing rates for diabetes mean that the burden of neoplasia will only become heavier over time, especially with increasing obesity and aging of what are now still youthful populations. The age-distributions of the affected patients in fact might also indicate cohort effects in many cases. There are a number of active registries in the region and population-based data are now available for a considerable number of countries. A body of Arab scientists is also contributing to epidemiological research into the causes of cancer and how to develop effective control programs. The present review covers the relevant PubMed literature and cancer incidence data from various sources, highlighting similarities and variation in the different cancer types, with attempts to explain disparities with reference to possible environmental factors. In males, the most prevalent cancers vary, with lung, urinary bladder or liver in first place, while for females throughout the region breast cancer is the greatest problem. In both sexes, non-Hodgkins lymphomas and leukemias are relatively frequent, along with thyroid cancer in certain female populations. Adenocarcinomas of the breast, prostate and colorectum appear to be increasing. Coordination of activities within the Arab world could bring major benefits to cancer control in the eastern Mediterranean region.