Epidemiology of Cancer in Rural Congo: Case of IME Kimpese Hospital, Democratic Republic of Congo

Abstract

Background and Aim: Cancer is a public health problem in developing countries. It is aggravated by diagnostic confirmation difficulties. The aim of this study was to determine the epidemiological profile of cancers in Congolese rural areas. Methods: A historical cohort study was conducted with 914 histopathological protocols at the IME/Kimpese hospital from January 2008 to December 2013. Results: The mean age of patients was 55.2 ± 14.5 years, and 61.9% were women with a sex ratio of 2W/M. Ductal carcinoma (23.6%), squamous cell carcinoma (23.5%) and adenocarcinoma (23.1%) were the most common cancers. The most affected organs were breast (26.3%) and prostate (14.3%). 41.5% of cancers had an undifferentiated character and more than half (51.1%) a differentiated character. The majority of this cancer infiltrated other organs (57.9%). Among cancers where grade was found, 16% and 10.8% were respectively grades 1 and 4, and the presence of metastases was observed in 10.9% of cancers. Conclusion: Cancer is more frequent in elderly women with a predominance of squamous and ductal carcinoma. The presence of a national cancer registry is necessary in the country for a good follow-up of cancer cases.