Harare — THE cancer burden continues to grow in Zimbabwe with at least 4 347 new cases recorded in 2008 alone, a senior Government official has said.

Only between 1 200 and 2 000 of the patients received radiotherapy.

Secretary for Health and Child Welfare Dr Gerald Gwinji said the highest number of cases (51 percent) was recorded among women.

According to a 2005 report by the Zimbabwe Cancer Registry, the top five leading cancers in African women are cervical (32 percent), breast (11 percent), kaposi's sarcoma (10,9 percent), eye (5,4 percent) and non-hogdkin's lymphoma (3,6 percent).

In men, leading cancers are kaposi's sarcoma accounting for 25,6 percent, prostate cancer (11,6 percent, non-melanoma skin (9 percent), non- hodgkin's lymphoma (5,8 percent) and eye (4,9 percent). "Cancer prevention and control should therefore be given the priority it deserves," Dr Gwinji said.

He said Zimbabwe was facing challenges with medication and equipment maintenance.

Two central hospitals Parirenyatwa and Mpilo have radiotherapy centres.

"At the present moment, both centres have machines that are working partially due to problems of maintenance and age of the equipment," Dr Gwinji said.

He said although a reliable external engineer comes from the International Atomic Energy Agency occasionally to maintain and repair the equipment, "the equipment is overdue for replacement".

Dr Gwinji said the ministry was not getting enough money under its budget to cater for equipment.

He said a comprehensive national cancer control programme was overdue for review.

The programme, he said, should address -- among other things -- the inclusion of cancer prevention in health workers' curriculum, establishment of an oncology pharmacy and vaccination against common risk factors to cancers.

"All patients with cancer in Zimbabwe should be able to access quality and comprehensive treatment within these centres (Harare and Bulawayo hospitals) which is not the case as of now," Dr Gwinji said.

He said successful cancer treatment needed equipment, chemotherapy and other related drugs and trained personnel.

Zimbabwe is one of the few African countries that train cancer treatment professionals, but these often go abroad where they get better working conditions.