Cancer is a significant public health concern globally, with its impact growing in low- and middle-income countries. Several factors influence the increasing rate morbidity and mortality due to cancer. A hospital-based cross-sectional study was therefore carried out to comprehensively examine the occurrence of cancer cases in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. Data were collected over a 6-month period from patients diagnosed with cancer at a tertiary hospital in Port Harcourt. Demographic information, clinical presentations, and cancer types were systematically obtained and analyzed. Descriptive statistics and relevant analytical methods were employed to provide insights into the burden and distribution of cancer cases. The study showed the age-specific prevalence of cancer based on age-specific rate shows that patients between the ages of 40-69 (71.4%) were the highest, while patients between the ages 19-39 (14.3%) recorded the lowest prevalence. Cancer was more prevalent among female (81.8%) and least among males (18.1%). Data showed breast cancer emerged as the leading cancer type (61.4%), followed by ovarian cancer (9.1%), skin cancer (8.0%), cervical and lung cancer (5.7%), and liver cancer (1.1%). Results also showed that cancer was more prevalent among those in business (46.6%) followed by civil servants (37.5%) and least among clergymen (1.1%). Prevalence based on treatment type showed that patients exposed to chemotherapy (68.2%) were more than those on non-chemotherapy (31.8%). The distribution of cancer types exhibited notable diversity, encompassing various organ systems. This study underscores the importance of ongoing surveillance and research efforts to better understand the epidemiological landscape of cancer in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. The results served as a foundation for the formulation of evidence-based strategies for cancer prevention, early diagnosis, and management. Regular screening is hereby recommended to prevent the incidence of malignant cancer.

Keywords: Cancer; Prevalence; Public Health; Survey

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Citation

Citation: Essien II., et al. “A Hospital-Based Survey of Cancer in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria”.Acta Scientific Cancer Biology 7.9 (2023): 45-50.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2023 Essien II., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.