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Background: Ovarian cancer is the fourth most common cancer and the fourth most common cause of cancer death among women in western Africa, with about 3820 new cases and 2912 cancer deaths in 2012 (GLOBOCAN 2012). Aim: The current study aims to estimate the incidence and determine the epidemiologic characteristics of ovarian cancer in Niger. Methods: This is a descriptive retrospective analysis of ovarian cancer cases, reported between 1992 and 2009 to the Niger Cancer Registry, established in 1992, in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Abdou Moumouni University in Niamey. Results: There were 363 cases diagnosed with ovarian cancer in Niger, accounting for 8.8% of all cancer cases in women reported during 1992-2009. During this period, ovarian cancer was the third most common cancer after breast and cervical cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death after breast and liver cancer in women. In 2009, the incidence of ovarian cancer was 4.9 new cases per 100,000 women and the number of deaths was 5.6 per 1,000,000 women. The average age at diagnosis of ovarian cancer was 42 ± 16 years (range 6-85 years). The risk of developing ovarian cancer is strongly related to age, with 13.2% of new ovarian cancer cases diagnosed in women younger than 25 years, 77.7% in those aged 25-64 years and 9.1% in those aged 65 years and over. Most ovarian cancers were cystadenocarcinomas. Among the cases for whom the outcome was known, 11.3% died during the study period, accounting for 9.3% of all female cancer deaths in Niger. Conclusion: The most recent estimates of ovarian cancer incidence and mortality in the world reveal sharp differences between developed and developing countries possibly related to missed opportunities for early diagnosis and incomplete reporting of ovarian cancer in Western Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Colorectal cancer is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the world, accounting for 9.7% of all cancers. It is the third most common diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide, causing an estimated 1.36 million new cancer cases and 694,000 deaths in 2012. We aimed to determine the epidemiological characteristics of colorectal cancer in Niger. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of colorectal cancer cases, reported between 1992 and 2009 to the Niger Cancer Registry, established in 1992, in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the Abdou Moumouni University in Niamey, Niger. Findings: There were 349 cases diagnosed with colorectal cancer in Niger (51% of cases in the rectum and 49% in the colon), which was 4.96% of all cancers reported during the study period. Nearly 62% of the cases were in men, with a male-female ratio of 1.6. The average age at diagnosis was 46.8±15.4years. More than three-quarters (76.8%) of people diagnosed with the disease were older than 35years at the time of diagnosis, with 63% of new cancer cases occurring in those aged 35-64years. The highest rates for women were noted in those aged 40-69years (62.7%) and rates for men highest between aged 35-69years (71.2%). The risk of development of colorectal cancer varied among various ethnic groups. Djerma Sonrai was more likely to develop colorectal cancer (55%) than were any other ethnic groups, followed by Haoussa (29.5%) and Touareg (6.6%). Most colorectal cancers were adenocarcinomas and 8.6% of individuals died during the study period, accounting for 3.3% of all cancer deaths. Interpretation: Despite the limitations of the available data, it is clear that there are several barriers in access to cancer control in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]