Cancer occurrence in Vanuatu in the South Pacific, 1980-86.

In order to study the occurrence of cancer in the archipelago of Vanuatu (ex-New Hebrides) within the Melanesia region in the South Pacific, a pathology based study was carried out. A total of 269 pathologically confirmed cancer cases (118 male, 151 female) were recorded over a 7 year period (1980-1986). Cervical cancer was numerically the most important malignancy in females (25.2% of all female cancers). In males, liver cancer was the most commonly observed (14.4% of all male cancers). The most interesting feature was the high proportion of thyroid cancers, especially in females. It consisted of 12.1% of all cancers in female and 5.2% in male Melanesians in Vanuatu.