Age-specific incidence of cancer in Kingston and St Andrew, Jamaica, 1993-1997.

A total of 4285 malignant neoplasms were recorded in Kingston and St. Andrew during the period 1993-1997, 2344 in females and 1941 in males. The crude incidence rate per 100,000 (CIR) for males was 121.6 and for females 129.2. Age standardized rates per 100,000 (ASR) were 156.7 and 176.7 for males and females respectively. In males, the leading sites for cancer were prostate (619 cases), bronchus (265 cases) and large bowel (144 cases) while in females the leading sites were breast (627 cases) cervix uteri (376 cases) and large bowel (204 cases). The crude and age standardized incidence rates have remained stable as compared to those for the previous five year period (1998-1992). The leading sites for both males and females have also been maintained in the same order but there was a marked increase in prostate cancer (ASR 56.4 versus 36). Invasive cervical cancer has shown no significant change in incidence (ASR 25.2 versus 26.3) but the rate for in-situ cancers has decreased (ASR 27.4 versus 43.8). The incidence of cancer of the female breast has remained relatively stable (ASR 43.2 versus 47.1). The trends exhibited by both prostate cancer and in-situ cervical cancer probably represent the influence of screening methods for prostate cancer and ablative management for low grade dysplastic lesions of the cervix uteri respectively.