Cancer incidence and mortality rates and trends in Trinidad and Tobago
Wayne A. Warner,
Tammy Y. Lee,
Kimberly Badal,
Tanisha M. Williams,
Smriti Bajracharya,
Vasavi Sundaram,
Nigel A. Bascombe,
Ravi Maharaj,
Marjorie Lamont-Greene,
Allana Roach,
Melissa Bondy,
Matthew J. Ellis,
Timothy R. Rebbeck,
Simeon Slovacek,
Jingqin Luo,
Adetunji T. Toriola,
Adana A. M. Llanos
Affiliations
Wayne A. Warner
Oncology Division, Siteman Cancer Center; Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, Washington University School of Medicine
Tammy Y. Lee
California State University
Kimberly Badal
Caribbean Cancer Research Initiative
Tanisha M. Williams
Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut
Smriti Bajracharya
Center for Public Health Systems Science, George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University
Vasavi Sundaram
Department of Genetics, Center for Genome Sciences and Systems Biology, Washington University School of Medicine
Nigel A. Bascombe
Department of Clinical Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies
Ravi Maharaj
Department of Clinical Surgical Sciences, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies
Marjorie Lamont-Greene
Dr. Elizabeth Quamina Cancer Registry, Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt. Hope
Allana Roach
Department of Educational Services, St. George’s University
Melissa Bondy
Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine
Matthew J. Ellis
Dan L. Duncan Cancer Center, Baylor College of Medicine
Timothy R. Rebbeck
Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and Dana Farber Cancer Institute
Simeon Slovacek
California State University
Jingqin Luo
Biostatistics Core, Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine
Adetunji T. Toriola
Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine
Adana A. M. Llanos
Department of Epidemiology, Rutgers School of Public Health and Division of Population Science, Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, Rutgers University
Abstract Background Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the Caribbean, including the islands of Trinidad and Tobago (TT). The population of TT consists of over 1.3 million people with diverse ancestral and sociocultural backgrounds, both of which may influence cancer incidence and mortality. The objective of this study was to examine incidence and mortality patterns and trends in TT. Methods Cancer surveillance data on 29,512 incident cancer cases reported to the Dr. Elizabeth Quamina Cancer Registry (population-based cancer registry of TT) between 1995 and 2009 were analyzed. Age-standardized rates, overall and by sex, ancestry, and geography, were reported. Results The highest incidence and mortality rates were observed for cancers related to reproductive organs in women, namely, breast, cervical, and uterine cancers, and prostate, lung and colorectal cancers among men. Average incidence rates were highest in areas covered by the Tobago Regional Health Authority (TRHA) (188 per 100,000), while average mortality rates were highest in areas covered by the North West Regional Health Authority (108 per 100,000). Nationals of African ancestry exhibited the highest rates of cancer incidence (243 per 100,000) and mortality (156 per 100,000) compared to their counterparts who were of East Indian (incidence, 125 per 100,000; mortality, 66 per 100,000) or mixed ancestry (incidence, 119 per 100,000; mortality, 66 per 100,000). Conclusions Our findings highlight the need for national investment to improve the understanding of the epidemiology of cancer in Trinidad and Tobago, and to ultimately guide much needed cancer prevention and control initiatives in the near future.
