We describe the patterns of cancer incidence for common cancers in Gulf Cooperation Council countries during 1998-2001. A total of 32 291 cases of cancer were diagnosed (16 342 in males; 15 949 in females). Male preponderance was observed only in Saudi Arabia and Oman. The age-standardized incidence of all malignancies per 100 000 in both sexes was highest in Qatar followed by Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, UAE and Saudi Arabia. Paediatric cancer ranged from 9.5% of total cancers in Saudi Arabia and UAE to 4.0% in Bahrain. In all countries, the mean age at diagnosis was higher in males than females; cancer of the lung and prostate were commonest among males, and cancer of breast and thyroid among females. Lung cancer ranked second among Bahraini women.

BACKGROUNDLung 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 METHODSAll 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.RESULTSOverall, 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.CONCLUSIONSCancer 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.

BACKGROUNDCancer is the second leading cause of death, following cardiovascular diseases, accounting for 12% of annually reported deaths in Bahrain. We determined the epidemiological patterns of malignancies in Bahrain and compared them with those of other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and other developed countries.SUBJECTS AND METHODSData for the study were obtained from the Bahrain Cancer Registry (BCR) database. The overall and type-specific 5-year average incidence rates were calculated for the years 1998–2002 and derived using the CANREG software formula. The incidence rates for the year 2000 were used for comparing Bahrain with those of other countries in the Arabian Gulf using the statistics of the Gulf Centre for Cancer Registration.RESULTSDuring the 5-year period there were 2405 cancer cases in Bahrain (1239 males and 1166 females), with an annual average of 481 cases. The world age-standardized incidence rates (ASR) were 162.3 and 145.2 per 100 000 for Bahraini males and females, respectively. Generally, Bahraini men had a higher ASR for most cancer types, and the most common type of cancer was lung for males (35.2 per 100 000), followed by bladder (14.5) and prostate (14.3), and breast for females (46.8), followed by lung (12.2) and ovary (7.7).CONCLUSIONCompared to other Gulf countries, Bahrain had higher incidence rates for cancers of the lung, prostate, colorectum, bladder, kidney, pancreas and leukemia among males and for cancers of the breast, lung, bladder, thyroid, uterus and ovary among females. A rising trend in cancer incidence is likely to continue for years or even decades to come.

Compared to other Gulf countries, Bahrain had higher incidence rates for cancers of the lung, prostate, colorectum, bladder, kidney, pancreas and leukemia among males and for cancers of the breast, lung, bladder, thyroid, uterus and ovary among females. A rising trend in cancer incidence is likely to continue for years or even decades to come.

BACKGROUNDCancer is the second leading cause of death, following cardiovascular diseases, accounting for 12% of annually reported deaths in Bahrain. We determined the epidemiological patterns of malignancies in Bahrain and compared them with those of other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries and other developed countries.SUBJECTS AND METHODSData for the study were obtained from the Bahrain Cancer Registry (BCR) database. The overall and type-specific 5-year average incidence rates were calculated for the years 1998–2002 and derived using the CANREG software formula. The incidence rates for the year 2000 were used for comparing Bahrain with those of other countries in the Arabian Gulf using the statistics of the Gulf Centre for Cancer Registration.RESULTSDuring the 5-year period there were 2405 cancer cases in Bahrain (1239 males and 1166 females), with an annual average of 481 cases. The world age-standardized incidence rates (ASR) were 162.3 and 145.2 per 100 000 for Bahraini males and females, respectively. Generally, Bahraini men had a higher ASR for most cancer types, and the most common type of cancer was lung for males (35.2 per 100 000), followed by bladder (14.5) and prostate (14.3), and breast for females (46.8), followed by lung (12.2) and ovary (7.7).CONCLUSIONCompared to other Gulf countries, Bahrain had higher incidence rates for cancers of the lung, prostate, colorectum, bladder, kidney, pancreas and leukemia among males and for cancers of the breast, lung, bladder, thyroid, uterus and ovary among females. A rising trend in cancer incidence is likely to continue for years or even decades to come.