02/09/2025
Cancer Issue In Somalia
Cancer is a disease of uncontrolled proliferation by transformed cells subject to evolution by natural selection (Brown JS 2023). There were an estimated 18.1 million new cases of cancer and 9.6 million deaths from cancer worldwide in 2018 (Ferlay J, Colombet M, Globocan 2018), According to GLOBOCAN 2022 estimates, Somalia reported 10,681 new cancer cases and 8,038 cancer-related deaths, with a 5-year prevalence of 12,983 cases. The age-standardized incidence rate was 121.0 per 10 0,000, with females experiencing higher rates (145.9) than males (95.4), (Filho AM, Laversanne M,Globocan 2022),the most common risk factors of cancers are Smoking, alcohol use, and low fruit and vegetable intake were the leading risk factors for death from cancer worldwide and in low-and-middle-income countries. In high-income countries, smoking, alcohol use, and overweight and obesity were the most important causes of cancer. Sexual transmission of human papilloma virus is a leading risk factor for cervical cancer in women in low-and-middle-income country (Danaei G, Vander Hoorn S,2005). In Somalia The leading cancers among the population were breast (17.0%), cervix uteri (10.9%), and colorectal cancer (7.1%), while prostate cancer ranked highest among males(Globocan cancer fact Sheet Somalia 2022). Challenges In Cancer treatments such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgical oncology also remain a challenge, with the majority of patients getting single modality chemotherapy or surgery only, with resultant high referral rate to neighboring countries such as Ethiopia and Kenya (Hassan,HA 2022), the most frequent cancers in Somalia as esophageal cancer, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, liver, breast, skin, thyroid, brain, bone, colorectal, and soft tissue sarcomas(Globocan cancer fact Sheet Somalia 2022)..Esophageal cancer remains the most common malignancy in Somalia, with a striking predominance of squamous cell carcinoma, advanced-stage presentation, and poor treatment outcomes. This article demonstrates the urgent gaps in documentation, diagnostic capacity, and therapeutic infrastructure that perpetuate high mortality rates. Establishing a national cancer registry, strengthening diagnostic networks, and building sustainable oncology services, including radiotherapy access.Also lack of awareness and knowledge In Somalia.
