ABSTRACT

Objective: The Antigua/Barbuda Cancer Study was undertaken to determine the incidence of cancer and describe the cancer distribution by age and gender.

Method: A five-year retrospective study of cancer occurrence in Antigua/Barbuda was conducted. The surgical pathology records of the Holberton Hospital and Medpath Clinical Laboratory for the period 2001−2005 were reviewed for all histologically confirmed cases of cancer.

Results: There were 492 documented new cancer cases – 238 males (age standardized rate [ASR] 148.0) and 254 females (ASR 125.7). The main incident cancers in men were prostate (ASR 69.4), skin (ASR 34.3) and bowel (ASR 11.7) and in women breast (ASR 37.6), cervix uteri (ASR 23.0) and skin (ASR 17.8). 

Conclusion: Gender-specific cancers were the dominant cancers among both genders, accounting for 61% of cases of cancers in women. The median age of cancer is lower among women. Further studies would be greatly facilitated by the implementation of a cancer registry in Antigua/Barbuda.