Burden of Disease Research Unit
| Frequently
asked questions |
|
What
are the top causes of death due to cancer in SA?
The causes of death due to cancer in South Africa are shown in Tables 1 and 2 and Figure 1 below from the Revised Burden of Disease estimates for the Comparative Risk Factor Assessment for South Africa, 2000 (pdf format 259 kb). The number and percentage of deaths due to cancer by cause are ranked for persons, males and females in the tables below. The top ten causes of death due to cancer ranked by persons total are shown in the figure below. Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer in SA accounting for 17% of all cancer deaths. This is followed by oesophagus Ca which accounts for 13%, cervix Ca accounting for 8%, breast CA accounting for 8% and liver Ca which accounts for 6% of all cancers. Many more males suffer from lung and oesophagus cancer than females. The estimates from the Initial Burden of Disease estimates for South Africa, 2000 (pdf format, 457 kb) are shown in Tables 3 and 4 and Figure 2.
Table 1: Numbers of cancer deaths by cause, South Africa 2000 - Revised
| Persons |
Males |
Females |
Rank |
Cause of death |
Deaths |
Rank |
Cause of death |
Deaths |
Rank |
Cause of death |
Deaths |
1 |
Trachea/bronchi/
lung cancer |
6885 |
1 |
Trachea/bronchi/
lung cancer |
4669 |
1 |
Cervix cancer |
3498 |
2 |
Oesophageal cancer |
5579 |
2 |
Oesophageal cancer |
3566 |
2 |
Breast cancer |
3156 |
3 |
Cervix cancer |
3498 |
3 |
Prostate cancer |
2524 |
3 |
Trachea/bronchi/
lung cancer |
2216 |
4 |
Breast cancer |
3206 |
4 |
Liver cancer |
1666 |
4 |
Oesophageal cancer |
2013 |
5 |
Liver cancer |
2651 |
5 |
Stomach cancer |
1386 |
5 |
Colo-rectal cancer |
1410 |
6 |
Colo-rectal cancer |
2567 |
6 |
Colo-rectal cancer |
1157 |
6 |
Liver cancer |
986 |
7 |
Prostate cancer |
2524 |
7 |
Mouth and oropharynx cancer |
985 |
7 |
Stomach cancer |
962 |
8 |
Stomach cancer |
2348 |
8 |
Leukaemia |
818 |
8 |
Pancreas cancer |
752 |
9 |
Pancreas cancer |
1541 |
9 |
Pancreas cancer |
789 |
9 |
Ovary cancer |
707 |
10 |
Leukaemia |
1465 |
10 |
Larynx cancer |
633 |
10 |
Leukaemia |
647 |
11 |
Mouth and oropharynx cancer |
1386 |
11 |
Lymphoma |
601 |
11 |
Corpus uteri cancer |
638 |
12 |
Lymphoma |
1032 |
12 |
Bladder cancer |
469 |
12 |
Lymphoma |
431 |
13 |
Larynx cancer |
746 |
13 |
Bone and connective tissue cancer |
360 |
13 |
Mouth and oropharynx cancer |
401 |
14 |
Bone and connective tissue cancer |
707 |
14 |
Brain cancer |
274 |
14 |
Bone and connective tissue cancer |
331 |
15 |
Ovary cancer |
691 |
15 |
Kidney cancer |
251 |
15 |
Brain cancer |
253 |
16 |
Bladder cancer |
673 |
16 |
Melanoma |
233 |
16 |
Bladder cancer |
204 |
17 |
Corpus uteri cancer |
638 |
17 |
Non-melanoma skin cancers |
158 |
17 |
Melanoma |
203 |
18 |
Brain cancer |
527 |
18 |
Breast cancer |
50 |
18 |
Kidney cancer |
176 |
19 |
Melanoma |
437 |
19 |
|
|
19 |
Larynx cancer |
114 |
20 |
Kidney cancer |
427 |
|
|
|
20 |
Non-melanoma skin cancers |
108 |
|
All cancers |
41657 |
|
All cancers |
21361 |
|
All cancers |
20296 |
Table 2: Percentage of cancer deaths by cause, South Africa 2000 - Revised
| Persons |
Males |
Females |
Rank |
Cause of death |
% |
Rank |
Cause of death |
% |
Rank |
Cause of death |
% |
1 |
Trachea/bronchi/
lung cancer |
16.5 |
1 |
Trachea/bronchi/
lung cancer |
21.9 |
1 |
Cervix cancer |
17.2 |
2 |
Oesophageal cancer |
13.4 |
2 |
Oesophageal cancer |
16.7 |
2 |
Breast cancer |
15.6 |
3 |
Cervix cancer |
8.4 |
3 |
Prostate cancer |
11.8 |
3 |
Trachea/bronchi/
lung cancer |
10.9 |
4 |
Breast cancer |
7.7 |
4 |
Liver cancer |
7.8 |
4 |
Oesophageal cancer |
9.9 |
5 |
Liver cancer |
6.4 |
5 |
Stomach cancer |
6.5 |
5 |
Colo-rectal cancer |
6.9 |
6 |
Colo-rectal cancer |
6.2 |
6 |
Colo-rectal cancer |
5.4 |
6 |
Liver cancer |
4.9 |
7 |
Prostate cancer |
6.1 |
7 |
Mouth and oropharynx cancer |
4.6 |
7 |
Stomach cancer |
4.7 |
8 |
Stomach cancer |
5.6 |
8 |
Leukaemia |
3.8 |
8 |
Pancreas cancer |
3.7 |
9 |
Pancreas cancer |
3.7 |
9 |
Pancreas cancer |
3.7 |
9 |
Ovary cancer |
3.5 |
10 |
Leukaemia |
3.5 |
10 |
Larynx cancer |
3.0 |
10 |
Leukaemia |
3.2 |
11 |
Mouth and oropharynx cancer |
3.3 |
11 |
Lymphoma |
2.8 |
11 |
Corpus uteri cancer |
3.1 |
12 |
Lymphoma |
2.5 |
12 |
Bladder cancer |
2.2 |
12 |
Lymphoma |
2.1 |
13 |
Larynx cancer |
1.8 |
13 |
Bone and connective tissue cancer |
1.7 |
13 |
Mouth and oropharynx cancer |
2.0 |
14 |
Bone and connective tissue cancer |
1.7 |
14 |
Brain cancer |
1.3 |
14 |
Bone and connective tissue cancer |
1.6 |
15 |
Ovary cancer |
1.7 |
15 |
Kidney cancer |
1.2 |
15 |
Brain cancer |
1.2 |
16 |
Bladder cancer |
1.6 |
16 |
Melanoma |
1.1 |
16 |
Bladder cancer |
1.0 |
17 |
Corpus uteri cancer |
1.5 |
17 |
Non-melanoma skin cancers |
0.7 |
17 |
Melanoma |
1.0 |
18 |
Brain cancer |
1.3 |
18 |
Breast cancer |
0.2 |
18 |
Kidney cancer |
0.9 |
19 |
Melanoma |
1.0 |
19 |
|
|
19 |
Larynx cancer |
0.6 |
20 |
Kidney cancer |
1.0 |
20 |
|
|
20 |
Non-melanoma skin cancers |
0.5 |
|
All cancers |
100.0 |
|
All cancers |
100.0 |
|
All cancers |
100.0 |
Figure1 : Top ten causes of death due to cancer by sex, South Africa, 2000 - Revised
Table
3: Numbers of cancer deaths by cause, South Africa 2000 (Initial Burden of Disease Study)
| Persons |
Males |
Females |
| Rank |
Cause
of death |
Deaths |
Rank |
Cause
of death |
Deaths |
Rank |
Cause
of death |
Deaths |
1 |
Trachea/bronchi/
lung
cancer |
7173 |
1 |
Trachea/bronchi/
lung
cancer |
5085 |
1 |
Cervix
cancer |
3424 |
2 |
Oesophageal
cancer |
5803 |
2 |
Oesophageal
cancer |
3886 |
2 |
Breast
cancer |
3009 |
3 |
Cervix
cancer |
3424 |
3 |
Prostate
cancer |
2411 |
3 |
Trachea/bronchi/
lung
cancer |
2088 |
4 |
Breast
cancer |
3062 |
4 |
Liver
cancer |
1773 |
4 |
Oesophageal
cancer |
1916 |
5 |
Liver
cancer |
2692 |
5 |
Stomach
cancer |
1482 |
5 |
Colo-rectal
cancer |
1253 |
6 |
Colo-rectal
cancer |
2446 |
6 |
Colo-rectal
cancer |
1193 |
6 |
Liver
cancer |
919 |
7 |
Prostate
cancer |
2411 |
7 |
Mouth
and oropharynx cancer |
1083 |
7 |
Stomach
cancer |
883 |
8 |
Stomach
cancer |
2365 |
8 |
Pancreas
cancer |
846 |
8 |
Pancreas
cancer |
684 |
9 |
Pancreas
cancer |
1530 |
9 |
Leukaemia |
829 |
9 |
Ovary
cancer |
675 |
10 |
Mouth
and oropharynx cancer |
1464 |
10 |
Larynx
cancer |
693 |
10 |
Corpus
uteri cancer |
593 |
11 |
Leukaemia |
1418 |
11 |
Lymphoma |
623 |
11 |
Leukaemia |
589 |
12 |
Lymphoma |
1018 |
12 |
Bladder
cancer |
466 |
12 |
Lymphoma |
395 |
13 |
Larynx
cancer |
804 |
13 |
Bone
and connective tissue cancer |
375 |
13 |
Mouth
and oropharynx cancer |
381 |
14 |
Bone
and connective tissue cancer |
681 |
14 |
Brain
cancer |
295 |
14 |
Bone
and connective tissue cancer |
306 |
15 |
Ovary
cancer |
675 |
15 |
Kidney
cancer |
269 |
15 |
Brain
cancer |
240 |
16 |
Bladder
cancer |
650 |
16 |
Melanoma |
248 |
16 |
Melanoma |
187 |
17 |
Corpus
uteri cancer |
593 |
17 |
Other
skin cancer |
159 |
17 |
Bladder
cancer |
185 |
18 |
Brain
cancer |
535 |
18 |
Breast
cancer |
53 |
18 |
Kidney
cancer |
163 |
19 |
Melanoma |
435 |
19 |
|
|
19 |
Larynx
cancer |
111 |
20 |
Kidney
cancer |
433 |
20 |
|
|
20 |
Other
skin cancer |
98 |
|
All
cancers |
41691 |
|
All
cancers |
22584 |
|
All
cancers |
19107 |
Table
4: Percentage of cancer deaths by cause, South Africa 2000 (Initial Burden of Disease Study)
| Persons |
Males |
Females |
| Rank |
Cause
of death |
% |
Rank |
Cause
of death |
% |
Rank |
Cause
of death |
% |
1 |
Trachea/bronchi/
lung
cancer |
17.2 |
1 |
Trachea/bronchi/
lung
cancer |
22.5 |
1 |
Cervix
cancer |
17.9 |
2 |
Oesophageal
cancer |
13.9 |
2 |
Oesophageal
cancer |
17.2 |
2 |
Breast
cancer |
15.7 |
3 |
Cervix
cancer |
8.2 |
3 |
Prostate
cancer |
10.7 |
3 |
Trachea/bronchi/
lung
cancer |
10.9 |
4 |
Breast
cancer |
7.3 |
4 |
Liver
cancer |
7.9 |
4 |
Oesophageal
cancer |
10.0 |
5 |
Liver
cancer |
6.5 |
5 |
Stomach
cancer |
6.6 |
5 |
Colo-rectal
cancer |
6.6 |
6 |
Colo-rectal
cancer |
5.9 |
6 |
Colo-rectal
cancer |
5.3 |
6 |
Liver
cancer |
4.8 |
7 |
Prostate
cancer |
5.8 |
7 |
Mouth
and oropharynx cancer |
4.8 |
7 |
Stomach
cancer |
4.6 |
8 |
Stomach
cancer |
5.7 |
8 |
Pancreas
cancer |
3.7 |
8 |
Pancreas
cancer |
3.6 |
9 |
Pancreas
cancer |
3.7 |
9 |
Leukaemia |
3.7 |
9 |
Ovary
cancer |
3.5 |
10 |
Mouth
and oropharynx cancer |
3.5 |
10 |
Larynx
cancer |
3.1 |
10 |
Corpus
uteri cancer |
3.1 |
11 |
Leukaemia |
3.4 |
11 |
Lymphoma |
2.8 |
11 |
Leukaemia |
3.1 |
12 |
Lymphoma |
2.4 |
12 |
Bladder
cancer |
2.1 |
12 |
Lymphoma |
2.1 |
13 |
Larynx
cancer |
1.9 |
13 |
Bone
and connective tissue cancer |
1.7 |
13 |
Mouth
and oropharynx cancer |
2.0 |
14 |
Bone
and connective tissue cancer |
1.6 |
14 |
Brain
cancer |
1.3 |
14 |
Bone
and connective tissue cancer |
1.6 |
15 |
Ovary
cancer |
1.6 |
15 |
Kidney
cancer |
1.2 |
15 |
Brain
cancer |
1.3 |
16 |
Bladder
cancer |
1.6 |
16 |
Melanoma |
1.1 |
16 |
Melanoma |
1.0 |
17 |
Corpus
uteri cancer |
1.4 |
17 |
Other
skin cancer |
0.7 |
17 |
Bladder
cancer |
1.0 |
18 |
Brain
cancer |
1.3 |
18 |
Breast
cancer |
0.2 |
18 |
Kidney
cancer |
0.9 |
19 |
Melanoma |
1.0 |
19 |
|
|
19 |
Larynx
cancer |
0.6 |
20 |
Kidney
cancer |
1.0 |
20 |
|
|
20 |
Other
skin cancer |
0.5 |
|
All
cancers |
100.0 |
|
All
cancers |
100.0 |
|
All
cancers |
100.0 |
Figure 2
: Top ten causes of death due to cancer by sex, South Africa, 2000 (Initial Burden of Disease Study)
Authors: Dr Rosana Norman, Prof Debbie Bradshaw, Michelle Schneider, Desiree Pieterse and Dr Pam Groenewald |
