POPULATION BASED LIFETIME RISK ESTIMATION OF MALIGNANT CANCERS IN BRUNEI DARUSSALAM.

ONG SK^1,3, ALIKHAN F¹, LAI DTC², ABDULLAH A¹, OTHMAN K¹, NAING L³

¹Public Health Services, Ministry of Health, Commonwealth Drive, Bandar Seri Begawan, BB3910, Brunei Darussalam.

²Faculty of Science, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei Darussalam.

³Pengiran Anak Puteri Rashidah Sa'adatul Bolkiah Institute of Health Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Jalan Tungku Link, Gadong BE1410, Brunei Darussalam.

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Since 2009, the leading cause of death in Brunei Darussalam has been cancer. This study aimed to estimate the lifetime risk of malignant cancers affecting men and women in Brunei Darussalam. Methods: De-identified data of malignant cancer cases were obtained from the population based cancer registry in Brunei Darussalam for the study period of 2011 to 2015. Adjusted multiple primaries method was applied to calculate a standardised estimate of lifetime risk of developing cancers. Results: The lifetime risk of being diagnosed with a type of malignant cancer is 28.0% or 1 in 4. The risk is 26.5% or 1 in 4 for men, and 29.2% or 1 in 3 for women. We found that at 5.0%, colorectal cancer poses the highest lifetime risk among men in Brunei Darussalam. This was followed by lung (4.5%) and prostate (3.7%) cancer. In women, the lifetime risk of developing breast cancer was 6.3%, colorectal cancer was 4.5% and cervical cancer was 1.8%. Conclusion: This study found significant population based lifetime risk of cancer in Brunei Darussalam; 1 in 4 Bruneians are at risk of being diagnosed with cancer at some point in his or her lifetime.

Keywords: Cancers, Lifetime risk, Malignant neoplasm, Population registers, Risk assessments.

Correspondence: Sok King ONG, MBBS, FAMS, FFPH. Medical Specialist (Public Health), Public Health Services, Ministry of Health, Commonwealth Drive, Bandar Seri Begawan, BB3910, Brunei Darussalam.

Hp: +673 8982348.

Email: sokking.ong@moh.gov.bn

Brunei Int Med J. 2018;14:92-101