Predominance of females with oesophageal cancer in Gezira, Central Sudan.

BACKGROUND

The majority of oesophageal cancer cases occur in developing countries. Globally males predominate.

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to review the clinical aspects of oesophageal carcinoma in Sudanese patients referred to endoscopy in Gezira, Central Sudan.

PATIENTS & METHOD: Data were collected from patients who underwent endoscopy during the period from 2005 to 2007 at The Gezira Centre for Gastroenterology Endoscopies and Laparoscopic Surgery. Demographic and clinical data including; sex, age, locality of residence, clinical presentation, tumour site and morphology were collected and analysed.

RESULTS

Seven hundred and two patients were consecutively referred to our centre for endoscopy. Seventy-three out of 702 patients (9.6%) referred for endoscopy proved to have oesophageal cancer. Fifty-five out of 73 patients (75.3%) were females generating a male to female ratio of 1:3.3. The mean age of females was 52.75±11.66years and that of males was 66.11±9.52. Sixteen (21.9%) patients came from the Managil; 14 (19.2%) from Hasaheesa and Rufaa; 14 (19.2%) from Blue Nile; 10 (13.7%) from Wadmedani (Central Sudan) and 19 (26%) from Elfaw and Kassala. In most cases (75.3%), the tumours were located in the middle third of the oesophagus. 79.5% of the tumours were squamous cell type.

CONCLUSION

Patients referred for endoscopy to The Gezira Centre for Gastroenterology, Endoscopies and Laparoscopic Surgery in Gezira revealed a greater proportion of women than of men diagnosed with the disease (1:3.3). More studies are needed to investigate the epidemiology of this disease and to identify the reason for the apparent gender uneven manifestation.