REGISTRY

The Abuja Cancer Registry started operation as a Hospital-based registry in September, 2006 and is situated in the National Hospital, Abuja- FCT, Nigeria. The focus was to weigh the burden of cancer on the hospital

With the collaboration of Federal Ministry of Health and the Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria, A Population based registry started in January, 2009. The Registry is staffed with a Chairman and Registrar with Supervision from the Health Records Department.

National Hospital, Abuja where the Registry is situated is one of the leading apex hospital in the country and the most competent Hospital where Diagnostic and treatment or services including radiotherapy and Nuclear medicine are available, most patient within the environs and beyond are referred to the hospital

Address:          Abuja National Hospital
Director:          Dr Egbinoba Festus
Telephone:      +234-08055177958
Email:              This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

LOCATION:

The Registry is located in the 230-bed Abuja National Hospital complex. It occupies 2 rooms in one of the buildings in the complex. The Registry is expected to relocate to a new building which is under construction. The new building will also house the Oncology Department. The registry falls under the Oncology Department and the Medical Records Department is an important stakeholder.

The registry is well equipped when compared to the other registries visited during the consultancy.

STAFFING:

The Registry has a staff establishment of 2, comprising 1 registrar and a health records officer who is the registry data collection officer. Both staff were drawn from the Medical Records Department pool. The registrar has attended courses on cancer registration conducted by the IARC and the EARN/AFCRN and the data collection officer has been trained locally. (Picture: Mrs Gloria Osubor; Mrs Chukwubuike Chinyere (Health Records Officer))

SOURCE OF FINANCE:

The Abuja registry is part of the Oncology Unit and is also administratively linked to the records department. It is financed from the hospital budgetary allocation of the Oncology Unit. Equipment is provided and serviced by the hospital. Staff salaries are also paid by the hospital. The arrangement seems to be working well.

REGISTRY POPULATION:

The Registry is population-based for Abuja City and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The target population is about 1.6 million inhabitants.

Transport for data collection is provided by the hospital. Reliability of the transport could not be fully ascertained.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION:

Most of the cancer management services in Abuja (diagnostic and treatment) are located at the National Hospital which is the location of the registry. The registry utilises the sources of information available at the hospital including, pathology laboratory, medical records department, oncology department and in-patient wards and out-patient clinics.

Data is also collected from 9 hospitals (both public and private) in Abuja and the FCT.  Four pathology laboratories also supply pathology reports to the registry. Some hospitals are reluctant to release their data although the registry was introduced to them in writing.

Institutions within the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) are not yet included among the registry sources of information.

METHODS OF REGISTRATION:

The Registry employs both active and passive methods of case-finding. All cancer patients that are identified at the various sources of information are registered, including those that do not reside in the target area of the registry. Non-residents are however excluded from the analyses.

Registry staff visit departments and units in the various hospitals to register patients from hospital records. Records of the Oncology Department are also utilised. In-patient wards and out-patient clinics are also utilised. Pathology laboratories are also visited to register cases from histology reports.

Data is recorded on the cancer registry abstract form. The registration form captures all the key variables, including age and incidence date.

DATA MANAGEMENT:

Data are coded to the ICD-O-3 system. The CanReg4 cancer registration system (version 4.33) developed by the IARC is used for data processing and management. Quality control checks in-built in the Canreg system seems to be the only source of quality control. Staff seems to be well-versed in the system, including the analysis package.

DATA ANALYSIS/RESULTS:

The registry report for 2011 was produced and disseminated locally in March 2012 by the Head of Department of Medical Records (hard copy available). A total of 490 cancer cases comprising 170 males and 320 females were registered. The top cancer sites were prostate and cervix for males and females respectively.

No other publications have been produced.

CONCLUSION:

The Abuja Registry has the potential to develop into a functional population-based registry for Abuja and its environs. Hospital management is committed to the registry as evidenced by the equipment provided to the registry. The staff is reasonably trained and is committed.