There were 149 cases of cancer diagnosed in 2023 according to the Ministry of Health and breast cancer remains the most common form of cancer.

In 2023, 36 were diagnosed with breast cancer, 26 with endometrium, 13 with colon, 10 for stomach and skin, 8 for cervix, 7 for thyroid, 6 for prostate, 4 for throat (pharynx), 10 for others, and 19 are unknown. This totals up all the cases to 149 for 2023.

In a report received by this newspaper from MOH, it stated that cancer is the second most common cause of death in Samoa after cardiovascular disease. Many cancers are undiagnosed, or patients present at a late stage of cancer, which leaves few options for treatment.

Cancer in the Pacific region, including in Samoa, has become more “westernised”. This means that infection-related cancers have been surpassed by cancers related to changed lifestyles. Alcohol, tobacco, and obesity are major risk factors behind this trend. The move away from traditional Samoan food towards imported foods has accelerated this trend.

Breast, stomach, endometrial and several other cancers can be directly attributed to unhealthy lifestyles. These malignancies are common in Samoa and increasing at a rapid rate. A worrying trend is that the age of patients diagnosed with many of these types of cancers is becoming lower.

Samoa, like many other Pacific Island nations, has three different elements of cancer care, they have Domestic Cancer services, Visiting medical teams (VSMT), and Overseas treatment programme (OVT). The most common cancers in Samoa are breast, gynaecological (endometrium, cervix), Colon/Stomach, and prostate. 

There are more confirmed cancer cases amongst women than men in Samoa. Over the last seven years, an average of 100 females was diagnosed with cancer, while the respective number for males was 45. 

The most common cancers in females were breast and gynaecological cancers, which made up a significant majority of cancers diagnosed in 2022-2023. The most commonly diagnosed cancer type in males in 2023 was “unknown”, where the primary tumor could not be identified.

One of the main issues with cancer in Samoa is late presentation. It is common that patients present with advanced cancers, which are difficult or impossible to treat. There are cultural, logistical, financial, knowledge and health system related reasons for patients not seeking help earlier. There are no consistent screening programme in place, and current screening activities can be described as opportunistic.