Abstract:
The National Cancer Registry (NCR) of South Africa publishes
the pathology-based cancer incidence in the country
and is the main cancer data source. The data published by
the NCR have been used extensively in the development of
the draft national guidelines for cancer prevention and control
as well as for cancer research. The list of contributing
pathology laboratories is fairly inclusive. Data from the NCR
and the University of Limpopo, Department of Oral Pathology
for the five years 1997-2001 were combined and then
filtered for sites in the oral and oropharyngeal region. Age-
Standardised Incidence Rates (ASIR) and the Cumulative
Lifetime Risk (LR) for males and females in the different population
groups were determined. Comprehensive reporting
of oral and oropharyngeal cancer incidence will influence
the allocation of government resources for prevention and
treatment of oral cancers.
