Abstract : The national statistics of cancer incidence and mortality in Morocco are estimated only from the data of the existing registers (Grand Casablanca and Rabat). In order to provide more efficient and updated statistics, an epidemiological study on cancers in the Souss Massa region of Morocco allows for the first time to enrich the publication of trends by type of cancer (solid and hematological) and to restore with precision the risk factors directly or indirectly. A retrospective descriptive analytical study of patients with cancer collected at the regional oncology center of Agadir (CORA), over a period from January 2014 to June 2019. All admitted cancer cases were analyzed, focusing on epidemiological parameters: sex, age, marital status, origin (city), environment (urban/rural), occupation, mode of payment and management, cancer location and types of cancer. The incidence of cancer in the Souss Massa region estimated on the world population is (146.35/100 000) with a female predominance (179.15/100 000) (p<0.0001), against (113.56 for men). Out of 8851 cases of cancer of all types, solid cancers represent (7603 cases; 86%) and hematological cancers (1248 cases; 14%). Among the most frequent types of cancer in the female population: breast (35%), cervical cancer (14%), blood cancer (13%), colorectal cancer (5.5%) and stomach cancer (4.6%). Among men, lung cancer ranks first (18.1%) followed by blood cancer (15.5%), stomach cancer (10.1%), colorectal cancer (10%) and prostate cancer (8.7%). Among the most common types of blood cancer are lymphoma, leukemia, multiple myeloma and cytopenia. The risk factors studied for solid cancers showed that they affected women more than men (57%) (p<0.0001). Their mean age was 54.89±16.23 years (p<0.0001). The patients were mainly married (75%) (p<0.0001), without profession (82%) (p<0.0001), coming from urban (55%) and rural (45%) areas and from the northern provinces of the region. The risk factors studied for hematological cancers showed that they affected women more than men (52%) (p<0.0001). Their mean age was 47.81±21.36 years (p<0.0001). The patients were mainly married (74%) (p<0.0001), without occupation (98%) (p<0.0001), coming from urban (54%) and rural (46%) areas and from the most populated provinces in the region. These results underline the interest of maintaining and reinforcing prevention efforts, increasing vigilance and surveillance to achieve avoidance of the main known risk factors for preventable cancers (smoking, alcohol consumption, HPV infection, H. pylori infection or diet, overweight and obesity...). Concerning hematological cancers, this work has also allowed us to improve our knowledge of these diseases, to follow trends over time but also to generate etiological and risk hypotheses in a perspective of establishing screening and management strategies specific to hematological cancers..
Full article