Epidemiological Profile and Temporal Trends of Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Guyana, 2015-2024: A Ten-Year Registry-Based Analysis
Abstract:
Cancer constitutes a growing
non-communicable disease burden across the Caribbean, yet population-level data
from Guyana remain sparse. This study characterises the ten-year
epidemiological profile of cancer in Guyana, describing temporal trends in
cancer incidence and mortality using national registry data spanning 2015 to
2024. A retrospective descriptive analysis of 8,822 cancer registry records was
conducted, examining year of diagnosis, sex, topography, cancer stage, vital
status, ethnicity, and geographic region. Descriptive statistics, proportional
distributions, and case fatality rates (CFR) were computed. A total of 8,822
cases were registered over the decade, rising nearly threefold from 525 cases
in 2015 to 1,635 in 2024. Overall case fatality was 53.8%. Females accounted
for 59.1% of cases (n=5,215), while males bore higher mortality (CFR 61.6% vs.
48.8%). Prostate cancer was the leading male malignancy (n=939) and breast
cancer the leading female malignancy (n=896). Cervical cancer ranked second in
females (n=487). Stage IV disease carried a CFR of 68.1%. East Indians
represented the largest ethnic group (31.2%). Region 4 (Demerara-Mahaica)
contributed 44.8% of all cases. COVID-19 disruptions in 2020 coincided with a
CFR peak of 69.3%, with a gradual decline to 42.8% by 2024. Guyana faces a
significant and escalating cancer burden characterised by late-stage
presentation, high case fatality, and geographic concentration of services.
Strengthening early detection, expanding registry completeness, and developing
context-sensitive prediction tools are urgently needed to improve cancer
outcomes in this low- and middle-income country (LMIC) setting.
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