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.