Cases of prostate and cervical cancers are on a gradual rise in Uganda, a new study has found. The study published on May 28 in the JAMA Oncology online journal titled: ‘The Global Burden of Cancer 2013’ was conducted by a consortium of researchers led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington. The study examined 28 cancers in 188 countries from 1990 to 2013.

According to the study, the number of new prostate cancer cases in Uganda increased from 850 in 1990 to 4,400 in 2013 whereas cervical cancer increased from 2000 to 3,400. The two are the leading causes of cancer morbidity (illness) and death in men and women. Cervical cancer claimed 2,300 lives in women in 2013, up from 1,400 in 1990. On the other hand, prostate cancer deaths have nearly tripled, from 390 in 1990 to 1,100 in 2013. Prostate cancer is ranked fourth in the top 10 among incident cases globally, but ranked first in Uganda.

Prostate cancer cases have increased more than threefold during this period due in part to population growth and aging. Cervical cancer has a particularly significant impact in sub-Saharan Africa, where it’s the most commonly diagnosed cancer in almost two dozen countries in the region,” the study partly reads. Patients in low-resource countries bear the largest brunt of the disease increase due to limited awareness, screening services, resources and limited access to quality cancer services. If left unchecked, the burden is likely to increase twofold before 2030.

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