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European Journal of Public Health, Vol. 24, Supplement 2, 2014 1
Semey State Medical University, Semey, Kazakhstan Semey Regional Oncology Center, Semey, Kazakhstan International School of Public Health, Northern State Medical University, Arkhangelsk, Russia 4 Department of International Public Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway Contact:
[email protected] 2 3
Background Cancers represent the second most common cause of death in industrialized countries. Elevated incidence of various cancers has been reported from settings exposed to ionizing radiation. More than 450 nuclear tests were performed at the Semipalatinsk site during Soviet time, but the official data on health of the population were unreliable before breakup of the USSR. Even 20 years after the test site was closed, the data are still scarce and their validity has been questioned. The aim of this study was to assess the incidence of selected cancers in Semey (Semipalatinsk) using the data from the regional cancer clinic which serves all cancer patients in the county. Methods Data on all new cases of cancers in 2012 were obtained from the cancer clinic. Data on population size was obtained from the regional statistical office. The incidence of four most common cancers in the region, namely, lung cancer, stomach, breast cancer and skin cancer were calculated and compared with the national average incidence of these cancers. Relative risks (RR) calculated as incidence ratios between the regional data and the national data for 2012 are presented with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results The overall incidence of cancer in Semey region increased from 207.1 per 100,000 to 227.7 per 100,000 in 2012. The incidence of all cancers in 2012 in the region greatly exceeded the national average (RR = 1.50; 95% CI 1.42-1.57). The incidence of lung cancer was 338.6 on per 100,000 (RR = 1.55; 95% CI 1.47-1.63). The incidence of breast cancer was 269.6 per 100,000 (RR = 1.31; 95% CI 1.23-1.37). The incidence of stomach cancer in Semey region was 216.4 per 100,000 (RR = 1.32; 95% CI 1.25-1.39). The incidence of skin cancer was 225.7 per 100,000 (RR = 1.09). Conclusions We have found that in Semey region, lung, breast, skin and stomach cancers are the most common cancers, which is a very different pattern compared to what is observed in other countries of the European WHO region. Moreover, the incidence of these cancers (except skin cancer) significantly exceeds Kazakhstani national average, which may at least partly be explained by radioactive pollution of the territory of the region as a result of nuclear tests at the Semipalatinsk test site during Soviet time. Other potential explanations will be discussed. Key message In Semey region, lung, breast, skin and stomach cancers are the most common cancers, which is a very different pattern compared to what is observed in other countries.
Incidence of selected cancers in Semey (former Semipalatinsk) region, East Kazakhstan Tolebay Rakhypbekov RK Rakhypbekov1, TA Adylkhanov1, NZh Chaizhunusova1, ZA Manambayeva1, MN Sandybayev2, MR Madiyeva1, BA Apsalikov1, LA Pak1, AS Zhabagina1, AM Grjibovski3,4
