Demographic Features of Common Cancers in the National Cancer Institute, Misurata

The epidemiological data of cancer cases provides vital scientific information to evaluate and estimate the burden of the disease in Libya. A hospital-based registry of cancer was used to document the facts of 974 Libyan patients with different cancers, diagnosed at the National Cancer Institute, Misurata-Libya in the year of 2016. Results: Of the 974 cancer patients, 538 were females with a mean age of 53 years. The number of male cancer patients was 436 men, with an average age of 57.7 years. The data revealed that the most common types of cancer in women were breast (n = 222; 41.3%), colon (n = 69; 12.8%), lymphoma (n = 32; 5.9%), ovarian (n = 31; 5.8). %). and uterus (n = 27; 5%). On the other hand, the most common cancers in men were colon (n = 80; 18.3%), lung (n = 80; 18.3%), prostate (n = 55; 12.6%), lymphoma (n = 42; 9.6%), and leukemia (n = 22; 5%). Conclusion: To improve the cancer registry, it is necessary to have well-developed sources of epidemiological and clinical data in order to determine the cancer’s prevalence and assess any new instances. Second, data on cancer should be shared and used in Libya to enhance cancer management.

Cancer survival is worse in underdeveloped nations, most likely due to a combination of late-stage detection and limited access to appropriate and standard health care [5]. Accurate data is required for proper strategic planning and strategy to scaling up health care services such as screening, prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment. As a result, cancer registries were established, which are used to determine the incidence and prevalence of cancer as a first step toward developing a national cancer prevention and treatment plan [6]. Because of a lack of cancer monitoring and screening methods, comprehensive studies in the field of cancer epidemiology are limited in developing nations. Due to the lack of a national cancer registry, the Libyan picture is further complicated by the lack of a defined system for capturing data and restricted monitoring for the formation of strategic plans for the health care program [7][8][9]. Libya was separated into five sections when the  The details of this registration software are shown in (Table 1).
However, because the majority of these registers are still in their infancy and incomplete, Libya still lacks a population-based national cancer registry [7,8]. In Misurata, a hospital-based cancer registry was established in 2008, and the first report on hospital data from that year was published [10]. The analysis estimated the scope of the cancer problem in Libya's central region, which has a population of more than a million people [1]. The current study's goals are to assess some demographic data, cancer rates, and prevalence based on the hospital cancer registry at the National Cancer Institute-Misurata. The research could help to improve cancer control in the country as a whole. This is the first-time statistics on the prevalence of cancer in Libya's central area has been published.

Study Population
The

Ethical Approval
The study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the NCI-Misurata. All personal identifiers were stripped from the data and only medically significant parameters were analyzed out.

Data collection
The data of cancer incidences was obtained from the patients'    While women in general constitute the majority of cancer patients, this is due to the high prevalence of breast cancer among them. As the incidence of breast cancer peaks at the age below fifty (Figures 5 & 6 and Tables 2 & 3), the average age of cancer incidence among women is lower than the average age for men.
On the other hand, prostate and lung cancer in males, both are occurred in male after the age of sixty ( Figures 5 & 7 and Table   3). This reflects the nature of cancers affecting both sexes, while male primary malignancies tend to occur at a later age, and female primary cancers occur earlier. Another potential factor is that men tend to hide symptoms and delay seeking medical care, especially in developing countries [4,8]. In the present study, the most common cancers in males were colorectal (18.3%), lung (18.3%), prostate (12.6%), lymphoma (9.6%), leukemia (5%) and brain & CNS (4.1%).      and Northern Europe patients (e.g., Finland), it was found to occur at earlier ages in Libya and Nigeria than in Finland [8,13]. In this study, we clearly saw that breast cancer occurred more in females at the age of 41-50 years. The incidence of colon cancer in NCI-Misurata was the second highest in the central region.
It is suspected that there is a strong relationship between this high rate of colon cancer and diet, as well as the absence of weight control and changing lifestyle habits of the Libyan people.
The dramatic increase in the incidence of colorectal cancer may be explained by the better availability of endoscopic techniques for early detection and diagnosis [14,15]. The incidence of lung cancer in NCI -Misurata occupied the third rank in the incidence of cancers in the central region, and males showed 8 times more prevalence than females (Figures 6-8 and Table 3). It is suspected that there is a strong relationship between this high rate of lung cancer and the smoking habits of Libyan males. This increase in the incidence of lung cancer was noticed in Libya and all over the world. There were 1.82 and 1.59 million new lung cancer cases and deaths worldwide, respectively [1]. The increase in the incidence of lung cancer can be explained by the continuous improvement in radiological diagnostic tools and methods of cytological and histological examination for early detection of lung cancer. There is a significant lowering trend for non-Hodgkin lymphoma in female patients than males, however, it has remained fourth principal malignancy in women and fifth malignant tumour in men after prostatic cancer ( Figure  Figure 8: Age distribution of colorectal cancers in males and females.

Conclusion
Using a hospital-based cancer registry, this study determined the prevalence of cancer cases in Libya's central area. Although the data was limited in various ways, such as the precise geographical data of the research locations, the cancer patient's family history, and the patients' lifestyle and habits, it was nevertheless useful.
The presence of certain epidemiological data on patients, on the other hand, has given us with crucial information regarding the size and scope of malignant diseases in Libya. Despite the fact that the prevalence of cancer is higher in industrialized countries, cancer mortality is often higher in developing countries due to a lack of early detection and treatment. As a result, future research should include fatality rates as well as probable carcinogenic risks. Despite the fact that people have been displaced to Misurata from the eastern and southern areas of Libya, this study reflects the reality of cancer cases diagnosed and treated at the National Cancer Institute in Misurata in the center region of Libya (which is the third largest population city in Libya). This is the sole hospital in the area that provides medical services to oncology patients.