Abstract
Cancer is the third leading cause of premature death in Kazakhstan. Every year more than thirty thousand Kazakhstani people are diagnosed with cancer. The present article was undertaken to provide base for the cancer control programs in Kazakhstan. The most common types of cancer are lung, skin, breast and stomach. These four cancers combined account for over 44% of new cases of cancer. Lung cancer is the most common cancer in men accounting for nearly a quarter of cancer cases in men. Breast cancer is by far the most common cancer in women accounting for 20%. Cancer remains mainly a disease of older Kazakhstanis. The largest proportion of cancer deaths for both men and women were from lung cancer mainly caused by smoking. Deaths from cancers of the lung, stomach, breast and esophagus together accounted for almost a half (46%) of all cancer deaths. With an estimated 186.7 new cases and 166.7 deaths in 2006, cancer remains an important public health problem in Kazakhstan. The incidence of lung cancer, and several other forms of cancer, could be reduced by improved tobacco control and healthy lifestyle.
