Breast cancer most among women, colon cancer in men

MUSCAT: Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women, while for men it is colorectal cancer, according to the Ministry of Health’s National Oman Cancer Registry, which has released the cancer statistics of the Sultanate of Oman for 2019.

The cancer incidence rate was higher among Omani women at 1,158 (55.43 per cent) compared to 931 men (44.57 per cent). Around 124 cases of cancer were recorded among children less than 14 years of age.

The average age at diagnosis is 54 years, which increases among men to reach 60 years compared to 50 years for women. The total number of diagnosed cases in 2019 were 2,307, which includes nationals and non-nationals. The number of Omanis diagnosed with cancer in 2019 was 2,089, while the number of cancer cases among non-Omanis was 200 and 18 cases of carcinoma in situ.

Cancer was also the third cause of death in hospitals. Diseases related to circulatory system like stroke and heart attack topped the list of deaths in hospitals followed by respiratory diseases. The report revealed the other common cancers among Omani men were that of prostate gland, stomach, lung, trachea/urinary bladder, and leukaemia, while in females these were thyroid, colon, stomach and uterus.

The data also showed that the crude cancer rate among Omanis is 69.6 per 100,000 men and 87.9 per 100,000 women. According to the standard world population table ASR, the global average indicates 113.6 per 100,000 Omanis and 122.4 per 100,000 Omanis.

Breast cancer cases have reached 350, and 31 per cent were diagnosed in the third and fourth stages.

The National Cancer Registry in Oman began recording cancer cases first as a hospital-based registry in 1985 and then as a population-based registry in 1996. The registry collects and records data for cancer patients from various data sources throughout Oman.

The registry issues an annual report containing the most important data collected, in line with international standards, such as those of the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.

The National Cancer Registry has ties ups with local, international and regional associations and organisations concerned with cancer registration.

The importance of having a national cancer registry lies in the presence of a database that is used as a reference for research and educational purposes by researchers and decision-makers.