Ekurhuleni Population-Based Cancer Registry sheds light on cancer in the region

The Ekurhuleni Population-Based Cancer Registry (EPBCR) has released its 2022 report, shedding light on crucial findings about cancer incidence within the region.

Compiled by the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD), the report stresses the importance of systematic cancer data collection in informing healthcare strategies and improving patient outcomes.

The sixth cancer incidence report covers data from January 1 to December 31, 2022, and includes comparisons of age-standardised incidence rates (ASIRs) for the most common cancers from 2017 to 2022.

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In 2022, the EPBCR recorded 4 116 cancer cases – 42.3% in males and 57.7% in females.

Most cases were reported among black (55%) and white (43%) populations, with smaller proportions in coloured and Asian groups.

The most common cancers in men were prostate (24%), colorectal (6%), and lung (4%), while breast (25%), cervical (25%), and colorectal (4%) cancers were most frequent in women.

Histology confirmed most cases (89.8%), with additional diagnoses made through clinical assessments or death records.

The complete report provides detailed incidence rates and lifetime cancer risk.

Since establishing the National Cancer Registry (NCR) in 1986, SA’s primary source for cancer incidence data, the need for accurate and comprehensive cancer statistics has become increasingly evident.

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Babongile Ndlovu, the leading investigator for the EPBCR report, highlighted the study’s significance.

“Robust cancer surveillance is crucial for informing effective cancer prevention and control policies.

“By providing quality data on cancer cases, population-based cancer registries help shape healthcare strategies, allocate resources, and ultimately improve patient outcomes,” said Ndlovu.

The report indicates a critical need for accurate cancer data to address public health challenges, particularly in regions with diverse populations and varying access to healthcare.

Ndlovu’s roles in the study included managing surveillance officers, co-ordinating field site activities and interpreting the collected data.

Establishing population-based cancer registries, mandated by Regulation No 380 of the National Health Act of 2003, has been pivotal in monitoring cancer incidence.

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These registries adhere to global standards, recording cancers diagnosed through clinical, radiological and pathological methods.

In light of the report’s findings, experts call for a collaborative approach to enhance cancer surveillance efforts.

As the Ekurhuleni district represents a microcosm of the broader SA population, the findings are expected to have wide-ranging implications.

Ndlovu hopes the study will encourage the establishment of more population-based cancer registries and improve the accuracy of cancer incidence estimations, ultimately enhancing access to healthcare resources for cancer prevention and treatment.

The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), with its head office in Bedfordview, said the following about the report’s findings.

Professor Michael Herbst, a CANSA clinical health specialist, patient advocate and cancer survivor, explained that the report is the start of major expected developments in cancer control in SA in the foreseeable future.

“The purpose of a cancer registry is to establish and maintain a cancer incidence reporting system to be a source of information for the investigation of cancer and its causes and to provide insight to assist public health professionals and agencies in the planning and evaluating of cancer prevention and control programmes.

“The pathology-based cancer registry of SA has so far been the primary source of cancer statistics for SA and has played a critical role in developing the cancer prevention and control policy for the country.

“However, it misses out on effectively collecting all cancer cases diagnosed among SA populations – a major problem being lack of access to pathology laboratories and health services by most individuals, especially those living in rural and far-rural areas.”

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On the other hand, he added that a population-based cancer registry would systematically collect information about all cancer cases and deaths over time within all the geographical areas of South Africa and include reporting on all neoplasms (abnormal, excessive growth of tissue) occurring in SA.

“This will be sourced from multiple sources and be a much richer source of information on cancers occurring in SA. It will provide much more critical information to support planning and cancer control.

“SA has only recently started within a ‘small geographical area’ (Ekurhuleni) to gather statistics and information about cancer-related incidence and deaths.

This is crucial for the future, and one can only hope that additional funding will become available to increase the geographical area of the scope of the future population-based cancer registry,” said Herbst.

“We are aware that the current geographical area is ‘small’ and its population is an ever-changing entity with individuals coming and going – moving in and out – for purposes of diagnosis and treatment of their varied cancers.

“This will not change in the foreseeable future, and the contributions of the eventual population-based cancer registry in cancer control and prevention cannot be over-emphasised,” added Herbst.

CANSA has congratulated the NICD and every individual involved in developing and growing the population-based cancer registry, “Which we all look forward to becoming a reality – sooner rather than later.

“This report creates expectations that we are convinced will become the norm for the future of cancer control and prevention in SA and will lay the foundations for developing similar exercises in neighbouring African countries.

“This report reflects that only bigger things are to come,” he said.

For more information on the EPBCR report and its key findings, visit the Public Health Bulletin South Africa’s website: www.phbsa.ac.za