Review Article
Abstract
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Background: Cancer represents a public health problem worldwide. Cancer incidence rates were estimated worldwide by the GLOBOCAN 2020 study. Cancer statistics in Libya indicate an increasing disease burden. However, comprehensive epidemiological data in Libya is sparse or non-existent.
Objective: To describe and discuss cancer incidence in Libya based on GLOBOCAN Libya 2020 estimates.
Methods: A descriptive review of published visualized cancer data through the Global Cancer Observatory (GCO), a web-based platform that provides interactive features and presents comprehensive global cancer statistics.
Results: According to GLOBOCAN 2020 findings, the estimated number of new cancer cases in Libya in 2020 was 7,661, including cases of both sexes. Of these, 3,913 were women and 3,748 were men. The most common malignancies in Libyan men occur in the lungs at 21.3%, followed by colon cancer at 11.3%, prostate cancer at 10.7%, bladder cancer at 10%, and leukemia at 4.4%. The most common cancers among Libyan women were breast cancer at 31.4%, followed by colon cancer at 12.3%, cervical cancer at 6.1%, thyroid cancer at 4.8%, and leukemia at 4.3%. Lung cancer accounted for a significant number of cases in Libya, of which 770 (16.2%) died, followed by breast cancer with 459 (9.7%).
Conclusion: The GLOBOCAN findings have provided useful indicators of cancer incidence in Libya, although some limitations were noted due to the weakness of national cancer registrations. Healthcare policies are needed for the management and control of the more prevalent and pressing cancers in Libyan society.
Review Article
Abstract
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Cancer registries play a central role in the documentation of cancer information. Over the past few decades, the data quality of cancer registries has been the subject of considerable debate among healthcare planners and has received increasing attention among epidemiologists. This is because of the importance of cancer registries' data in health services planning, and epidemiological research. Cancer registries are responsible for collecting the basic demographic and disease information of every patient diagnosed with cancer and producing high-quality cancer statistics. The quality of cancer registry data is evaluated using different techniques to improve the registration process, completeness, and accuracy. This review aims to describe the quality of cancer registration as reported in the literature, highlighting the effect of the completeness and accuracy of cancer data on survival estimates. A limited number of studies have looked at the quality of cancer data. The existing literature indicated several limitations on the quality of cancer data that influence the estimates of cancer survival and contribute to international variations of cancer survival between countries. This effect could make survival estimates either underestimated or overestimated. No specific data field was reported to be responsible for the change in survival estimate. However, the importance of some clinical fields, such as clinical stages and treatments, has been highlighted in pieces of literature. Survival statistics based on cancer registries were also affected by the presence of death certificate only (DCO) registrations. Complete and accurate data are crucial for obtaining reliable results and valid inferences in oncology research.