True

Abstract

Incidence rates of different cancers have been calculated for the population of Kyadondo County (Kampala, Uganda) for four time periods (1960–1966; 1967–1971; 1991–1994; 1995–1997), spanning 38 years in total. The period coincides with marked social and lifestyle changes and with the emergence of the AIDS epidemic. Most cancers have increased in incidence over time, the only exceptions being cancers of the bladder and penis. Apart from these, the most common cancers in the early years were cervix, oesophagus and liver; all three have remained common, with the first two showing quite marked increases in incidence, as have cancers of the breast and prostate. These changes have been overshadowed by the dramatic effects of the AIDS epidemic, with Kaposi's sarcoma emerging as the most common cancer in both sexes in the 1990s, and a large increase in incidence of squamous cell cancers of the conjunctiva. In the most recent period, there also seems to have been an increase in the incidence of non-Hodgkin lymphomas. So far, lung cancer remains rare. Cancer control in Uganda, as elsewhere in sub-Saharan Africa, faces a threefold challenge. With little improvement in the incidence of cancers associated with infection and poverty (liver, cervix, oesophagus), it must face the burden of AIDS-associated cancers, while coping with the emergence of cancers associated with Westernization of lifestyles (large bowel, breast and prostate). © 2000 Cancer Research Campaign

The incidence of oesophageal cancer in Eastern Africa: Identification of a new geographic hot spot?

“…Acknowledging the limitations of our data on historic trends, the overall stability of ASRs in two sites dating back to 1990, despite increasing Western influences, may direct future investigation to evaluate environmental exposures in this region, which have remained static over time. There is, however, some evidence that rates have increased from earlier times; data from the Kampala Cancer Registry (established in 1954) reported a marked increase in ASRs for cancer of the oesophagus amongst males from 1.7 in the 1960’s to an ASR of 13 in the 1990’s [29]. …”

Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV): Molecular biology and oncogenesis

“…Indeed, KS is the most common malignancy associated with HIV infection and can lead to significant mortality [26]. KS is the most common tumor in African men [27; 28; 29]. This epidemiologic form of KS is found with increased frequency in homosexual AIDS patients who are relatively young.…”

A Population-Level Evaluation of the Effect of Antiretroviral Therapy on Cancer Incidence in Kyadondo County, Uganda, 1999–2008

“…The incidence of several cancers, including Kaposi sarcoma (KS), invasive cervical cancer (ICC), non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), prostate cancer, and squamous cell cancer of the conjunctiva increased markedly across sSA in the HIV/AIDS era 2, 6, 7 . AIDS-defining malignancies (ADMs) – KS, ICC, and NHL – are now some of the leading causes of cancer in sSA 1 .…”