Lung cancer in Basrah, Iraq during 2005-2012: Incidence and time trend

OBJECTIVES: To study the incidence rate of lung cancer and its time trend in Basrah during 2005-2012. METHODS: This was a cancer registry-based retrospective study including all Basrah inhabitant patients diagnosed with primary lung cancer during the period from January 2005 to December 2012. The crude incidence rate was calculated in addition to the age standardized incidence rate (ASIR)/100,000 using the world standard population. RESULTS: Out of 746 registered cases of lung cancer in Basrah, 75.9% were males and 24.1% were females with a male: female gender ratio of 3.1:1. The crude incidence rate was 3.93/100,000 (5.89/100,000 for males and 1.93/100,000 for females). The ASIR was 8.25/100,000 (13.30/100,000 for males and 4.08/100,000 for females). The time trend showed a decrease in incidence rate in the last 2 years (2011 and 2012) compared with the preceding years. CONCLUSION: The incidence rate of lung cancer in Basrah did not differ greatly from that reported for some Arab and neighboring countries. No definite time trend could be identified apart from a tendency for the incidence rate to decline in 2011 and 2012.