Cancer Morbidity Trends in Panama: Lets Analyze 8-years of data for 20 Different Types of Cancer

Methods: The de-identified data was obtained from the National Cancer Registry of Panama public records. SAS 9.3 was used to estimate gender-standardized incidence rates for all cancers in Panama between 2002 and 2010, and annual percentage change (APC) by these rates.

Results: Between 2002 and 2010, a total of 37,682 cancers were diagnosed in Panama. The annual incidence rate (APC=1.1%) for all cancers combined increased across the study period.   Over the study period, an increase in incidence rates were observed in prostate (APC=2.2%), breast (APC=4.1%), corpus uteri (APC=5.3), skin (APC=9.0), thyroid (APC=5.1%), liver (APC =8.4%), pancreas (APC=8.4%), larynx (APC=4.1%), brain (APC=2.8%), vulva (APC= 0.2%), Hematopoietic and reticuloendothelial system (APC=0.2%), lymphatic (APC=10.9%), other types of cancers (APC 8.1%).  A reduction in incidence rates was found in stomach, lung, colon, cervix uteri, kidney, urinary bladder, ovarian, and vulva cancer. 

Conclusions: The standardized incidence rates have increased in the majority of the cancers in Panama.  Further trend analysis using the SEER Joinpoint regression   program will provide more information on slope and average annual percent change per cancer type, and will serve as a baseline study for future cancer prevention interventions, especially for those with the most prominent increase.