Pattern of Cancers among Patients Managed at the Oncology Clinic of Jos University Teaching Hospital: A Retrospective Review

Background: Plateau State, Nigeria, has a long history of tin and columbite mining, resulting in elevated environmental concentrations of naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORMs), including uranium, thorium, and radon, as well as contamination by carcinogenic heavy metals. Although direct epidemiological evidence linking mining-related radiation exposure to cancer incidence remains limited, the established carcinogenic effects of ionizing radiation justify investigating cancer patterns among patients attending Jos University Teaching Hospital (JUTH), the major tertiary referral centre serving Plateau State and neighbouring communities. Methods: This retrospective descriptive study reviewed medical records of patients managed at the Oncology Clinic of JUTH. Data on age, sex, cancer diagnosis, and place of residence were extracted and analysed using descriptive statistics to determine the distribution and pattern of cancers. Results: A total of 624 cancer patients were reviewed, with ages ranging from 7 to 95 years. Females accounted for 452 (72.4%) cases and males 172 (27.6%), giving a female-to-male ratio of approximately 3:1. Cervical cancer was the most common malignancy (27%), followed by breast (17%), head and neck (12%), and skin, bone, and soft-tissue cancers (10.9%). Ovarian and endometrial cancers accounted for 6.0% and 5.3% of cases, respectively, while prostate, colorectal, gastric, liver, pancreatic, lung, lymphoma, bladder, renal, testicular, uterine, vulvar, central nervous system, and rectal cancers each represented less than 5% of cases. Testicular cancer had the youngest mean age at diagnosis (17.00 ± 1.41 years), whereas gastric cancer had the highest (65.17 ± 13.79 years). Most patients (79%) resided in Plateau State, predominantly in Jos North (31%) and Jos South (30%), with cervical cancer predominating across most local government areas. Conclusion: The predominance of cancer cases from mining-affected areas highlights the need for strengthened cancer surveillance, expanded screening, and comprehensive environmental and epidemiological studies to clarify the contribution of mining-related radiation exposure to cancer occurrence and guide targeted cancer control interventions. Cancer distribution, Cervical cancer.