Cancer incidence reported by The Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN) is an estimate based on the registries available in each country. Their validity in regions such as Latin America is affected by the lack of reliable data and less access to healthcare among the population. Studying the geographic distribution of the incidence of malignant tumors facilitates the search for risk factors and allows prioritizing health resources.

AIM:

To estimate the incidence of the main malignant tumors in Chilean people with access to a private healthcare insurance at an oncological institute, and to know its geographical distribution.

Material and Methods:

Incident cancer cases during 2017 and 2018 were obtained from the institution's Tumor Registry. The incidence was adjusted by age and sex of the Chilean population obtained from the 2017 Census. Cancer rates were calculatedfor each of the 16 administrative regions in Chile.

RESULTS:

Overall, the incidence of breast, lung, colon and thyroid cancers in the studied population was significantly higher than estimates for Chile reported by GLOBOCANfor 2020, especiallyfor thyroid cancer. There is a higher incidence of breast cancer in Greater Santiago and of lung cancer in men in the Antofagasta Region.

CONCLUSIONS:

The regional differences observed are explained by known risk factors. However the high incidence of lung and colon cancer in the Los Ríos Region requires further studies.