Pattern and Epidemiologic Characteristics of Malignant Tumours Seen in Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt: A Retrospective Study from January 2017 to December 2022

Abstract

Aim: To review malignant tumours seen at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital from January 2017 to December 2022, to assess the gender and age distribution of these tumours and to assess whether there is a correlation between ages of these patients and these malignant tumours. Place and Duration: Department of Anatomical Pathology, River State University Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. A retrospective study from January 2017 to December 2022. Methodology: Four hundred and ninetyeight (498) cases were retrieved from the archives of the hospital cancer registry; 19 cases were excluded due to incomplete data. Data were entered into excel spread sheet and analysed using Microsoft Excel (version 2019). Results: The mean age was 51.7 ±15.7 years, and the modal age was 51 years. Most of these patients were females (71%). The commonest tumour in females was breast whereas the commonest tumour in males was prostate. There was a correlation between these malignant tumours and age ((χ² =4.25; P = .05). Conclusion: Majority of the cancers seen in our institution were diagnosed in females in the age bracket 30-69 years and there is a correlation between age and these tumours.