Digestive Tract Cancers: Epidemiological, Anatomical and Clinical Aspects and Management at Conakry Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Digestive cancers represent between 10 and 50% of all cancers and therefore occupy a preponderant place in digestive surgery departments. Our general objective was to study the epidemiological, anatomo-clinical and therapeutic aspects of cancers of the digestive tract at the Conakry University Hospital. Methodology: This was a retrospective descriptive study covering a period of 6 years, from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2019. Result: the hospital prevalence of cancers of the digestive tract was 6.34% with a male predominance of 54% and a sex ratio of 1.17. The average age was 52.7 years with the extremes of 13 and 84 years and 57% resided in Conakry. Alcohol and tobacco are the most popular stimulants. The most frequent reasons for consultations were epigastralgia 64.31%, vomiting / nausea 44.11%, Stomach and colon cancers were the most represented, i.e. 40.07% and 30.30% respectively. The treatment was curative (surgery) in 85.19% of cases and the outcome was favorable in almost three quarters of cases, or 71.04% of cases. We have 71 registered death cases. Conclusion: Cancers of the digestive tract remain non-negligible in our country and that of the stomach is the most common. The hope lies in equipping structures with proximity and adequate infrastructure for diagnosis and with consequent therapeutic means (radiotherapy), as well as raising awareness of early diagnosis within the community.