CLAIM: Cases of cancer are on the rise in Zimbabwe.
SOURCE: The claim was made in a report by NewsDay on September 26. The paper cited the deaths of politician Morgan Tsvangirai and activist Patson Dzamara, who both died of colon cancer, as well as a colon cancer diagnosis of politician Shadreck Mashayamombe.
VERDICT: True. While the article did not provide data, cancer cases overall have risen over the decade, including those of colon cancer
The death of Patson Dzamara on August 26, 2020, reignited debate around the prevalence of cancer in Zimbabwe. What does the data say?
Data from the Zimbabwe National Cancer Registry (ZNCR), which collates cancer data in the country, shows cases have increased over the past decade.
In 2009, a total of 3,519 new cancer cases were recorded in Zimbabwe. Cases rose to 6,548 in 2013 and 7,265 in 2016. In 2018, according to a report by the Anadolou News agency, citing ZNCR, 9,220 cases of cancer were recorded.
However, a separate report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the cancer agency of the World Health Organisation, says Zimbabwe recorded 17,465 new cases of cancer in 2018.
A total of 185 colon cancer cases were reported in 2016 by ZNCR, while 445 were reported in 2018 by the IARC. While numbers rose, colon cancer’s overall contribution to total cases has not changed materially between 2016 and 2018. It accounted for 2.6% of new cases in 2018 (WHO) and 2.7% in 2016 (ZNCR).
Where are cases most prevalent?
ZNCR’s 2016 report is the last most comprehensive report on cancer data in Zimbabwe.
By province, cases in 2016 were distributed as follows: Bulawayo 15.3%, Harare City 35.2%, Manicaland 5.7%, Mashonaland Central 4.4%, Mashonaland East 13.5%, Mashonaland West 7.4%, Masvingo 5.2%, Midlands 6.1%, Matabeleland North 3.1% and Matabeleland South 2.9%. The origin of 87 cases (1.2%) could not be determined.
Which is the most common cancer?
According to IARC, the most frequently occurring cancer among Zimbabweans is cervical cancer, followed by breast cancer. Among women alone, cervical cancer made up 28.9% of cancers in 2018, while breast cancer accounted for 17.1%.
For men, the most common cancer is prostate cancer, which accounted for 20.1% of all cancers in 2018, followed by kaposi sarcoma, a form of skin cancer, at 15.2%.
Conclusion
NewsDay’s report that colon cancer cases are rising is correct. Official data shows that the number of colon cancer cases has risen since 2016, in tandem with a rise in the number of cases of other forms of cancer.
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