Changes in the Distribution of Cancer Incidence in Nepal from 2003 to 2013

BACKGROUND: Cancer incidence data are vital for cancer control planning in any nation. This retrospective study was conducted to compare the cancer incidence of all sites between the first cancer registry report and the most recent example in Nepal. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The cases in the first (2003) and latest (2013) national cancer registry reports, accumulated by all the hospital based cancer registries in Nepal were taken for the research. The frequencies, crude incidences and age specific incidences (per 100,000) of the five major cancers were calculated for both males and females. RESULT: The most common cancer type for males in both years 2003 and 2013 was lung. Stomach was the third most common cancer in 2003 while it was the second in 2013. Similarly, the first four major cancers (cervix, breast, lung and ovary) did not change between 2003 and 2013 in females. The total cancer incidence rate increased from 12.8 in 2003 to 30.4 per 100,000 in 2013 for males and from 15.1 to 33.3 in females. CONCLUSION: The most common cancers in males in 2003 and 2013 were the bronchus and lung. Similarly, the most common cancer in females was cervix at both time points. The cancer incidence rate in females was higher than in males both in 2003 and 2013.