TRENDS IN CLINICAL STAGE AT PRESENTATION FOR FOUR COMMON ADULT CANCERS IN IBADAN, NIGERIA

ABSTRACT Introduction Cancer outcome is largely determined by stage at diagnosis. We hypothesised that people living in Low- and Middle-Income Countries may be reaching diagnosis at an early stage, reflecting growth in awareness of the disease and its symptoms. We examined stage at diagnosis for four common cancers presenting at a referral centre in Nigeria. Methods A retrospective review of case-records from cases treated for four common cancers (colorectal, uterine cervix, breast and prostate) at University College Hospital, Ibadan over two epochs: 2012-2013 and 2017-2018. Results There is no evidence that cases were diagnosed at an earlier stage in the later epoch. Seventy-five percent of cases were diagnosed at late stage (III or IV) in the second epoch, vs seventy percent in the first epoch. Conclusion There is no evidence in the data that the problem of late presentation of common cancers is reducing in Oyo State, Nigeria.