Histologically diagnosed cancers in South Africa, 1988.

The National Cancer Registry (NCR) collects information on cancer diagnoses via a nation-wide network of public and private pathology laboratories. In 1988, 45,570 new laboratory-diagnosed cancer cases were reported to the NCR. Minimal age-standardised registration rates for black, white, coloured and Asian males were 112.2, 229.9, 192.2 and 91.6/100,000, respectively, and those for females 107.2, 201.3 148.1 and 118.0. About 40% of cancers in females and 31.3% in males occurred in potentially economically active adults aged 15-54 years. The top five cancers in males were: (i) basal cell skin cancer; (ii) cancer of the prostate gland; (iii) cancer of the oesophagus; (iv) lung cancer; and (v) squamous cell skin cancer. In females they were: (i) cancer of the cervix; (ii) breast cancer; (iii) basal cell skin cancer; (iv) squamous cell skin cancer; and (v) cancer of the oesophagus. Despite under-reporting, a number of cancers, especially those of the oesophagus and cervix in blacks and skin cancers in whites, rank among the highest in the world. Moreover, 40.4% of the cancers in adult males (15-64 years) and 15.2% of those in adult females were associated with tobacco use.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)