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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE
Cancer prevalence and demographic patterns in Northern Basra, Iraq: A cross-sectional population-based study
Ali Al-Rubaye1 ,
Rajaa A. Mahmoud2 ,
Sara A. Al-Adab3 ,
Nazik H. Hasrat4 ,
Seena S. Mazyed5 ,
Laith Alrubaiy6*
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1 Department of Public Health, Basra Health Directorate, Basra,
Iraq
2 Department of Public Health, Al-Zahraa Medical College, Basra,
Iraq
3 Research Unit, Basrah Health Directorate, Basra,
Iraq
4 Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Basrah, Basrah,
Iraq
5 Cancer Control Centre, Basra Health Directorate, Basra,
Iraq
6 Gastroenterology, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea, Wales,
United Kingdom
EJMO, 025340354 https://doi.org/10.36922/EJMO025340354
Received: 19 August 2025 | Revised: 2 December 2025 | Accepted: 12 December 2025 | Published online: 5 May 2026
© 2026 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution -Noncommercial 4.0 International License (CC-by the license) ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ )
Abstract
Introduction: Cancer is a major global health challenge, responsible for one in six deaths worldwide, with 19.3 million new cases and 10 million deaths recorded in 2020. Iraq has witnessed a steady rise in cancer incidence, and Basra, in southern Iraq, is particularly vulnerable due to extensive oil extraction and petrochemical activity.
Objective: This study aimed to estimate cancer prevalence in northern Basra and describe the distribution of cancer types across age and sex.
Methods: A descriptive, cross-sectional, community-based survey was conducted in northern Basra, covering an area of 3,822 km2 with a population of 948,489. Using the Basra Health Directorate family registry, 560 families (0.35% of households) were randomly selected. Data were collected from 3,866 participants through structured questionnaires administered by trained fieldworkers. Cancer diagnoses were verified using medical documentation. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and odds ratios, with prevalence expressed per 100,000 population.
Results: The overall cancer prevalence was 1.6% (1,600 per 100,000). Prevalence was higher in females than males (2,360 vs. 990 per 100,000; p < 0.001). Cancer prevalence increased with age, from 230 per 100,000 in children to 28,090 per 100,000 in those over 80 years. The most common cancers were breast (24.2%), gastrointestinal (22.6%), lymph node (14.5%), and hematologic (11.3%) malignancies.
Conclusions: Cancer prevalence in northern Basra exceeds official registry estimates. Breast cancer predominates in women and hematologic cancers in men. The findings call for enhanced cancer surveillance, early detection programs, and environmental health interventions in oil-producing areas of Iraq.
Keywords
Cancer
Epidemiology
Prevalence
Basra
Iraq
Environmental exposure
Funding
None.
Conflict of interest
The authors declared that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have influenced the work reported in this paper.
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