Cervical Cancer Incidence and Trends among Nationals of the Gulf Cooperation Council States, 1998-2012.

Background: Cervical cancer is the ninth most common female malignancy in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) States. We describe trends in cervical cancer incidence among GCC nationals. GCC states include Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates; which share similar demographic, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds.

Methods: The Gulf Centre for Cancer Control and Prevention (GCCCP) has maintained a database of cancer in the GCC states since 1998. Women diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer during the 15 years 1998-2012 were included (N=2,332). Age-specific incidence over three periods (1998-2002, 2003-2007 and 2008-2012) are presented for all states combined. Trends in the frequency of registered cases, age-standardized incidence rates (ASRs) and in the distribution of stage at diagnosis for the six member states are compared between the three periods.

Results: Over the 15-year period, the peak age of cervical cancer diagnosis has slightly shifted towards older age. While the number of cases in the GCC has increased, the ASR has decreased. 39% of women were diagnosed in localized stage. The proportion of unknown stage ranged between 10% in the UAE and 58% in Oman, and has increased over time in Kuwait, Oman and the UAE.

Conclusion: The present study indicates some success in cervical cancer preventive measures but the GCC may still see an increase in the number of cases in the coming years. More efforts should be directed towards documentation of stage and towards early diagnosis.