Women accounted for two-thirds of cancer diagnoses in Fiji’s Western Division last year, with Lautoka Hospital recording about 351 histologically confirmed cases during the 2023 clinical year, a consultant with a special interest in oncology told the Fiji Medical Association mini-conference on Monday.
Dr Lalit Kumar said the hospital’s data showed women made up 67 per cent of diagnosed cases while men accounted for 33 per cent. Across the 12‑month period Lautoka confirmed approximately one new cancer diagnosis each day, of which roughly 60 per cent involved women. “Roughly two‑thirds of all diagnoses are women‑related, specifically involving the breast, cervix and endometrium,” he told delegates.
Breast cancer was the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in 2023 at Lautoka Hospital, with more than 60 confirmed cases, followed by cervical and endometrial cancers. While reproductive‑system and gender‑specific cancers dominated the female case load, Dr Kumar warned other cancers were on the rise. He said gastrointestinal cancers, taken together, now represent a larger burden than prostate and other male cancers, even though prostate cancer remains a significant concern for men.
The hospital’s figures also included an ethnic breakdown: iTaukei patients comprised 53 per cent of diagnoses, Indo‑Fijians 45 per cent and patients of other ethnicities 2 per cent. Dr Kumar did not attach population‑adjusted rates to these percentages in his presentation but highlighted the raw distribution as part of the Western Division clinical picture for 2023.
Dr Kumar attributed a substantial number of Fijians seeking cancer treatment overseas not to a shortage of local medical expertise but to gaps in diagnostic and treatment resources at home. “Fijians go abroad mainly because of limited diagnostic and treatment resources locally, rather than a lack of medical expertise,” he said, underscoring capacity constraints that can delay or complicate care.
The data presented at the mini‑conference provide a snapshot of cancer patterns in the Western Division and point to a pronounced female burden driven by breast, cervical and endometrial cancers. The figures underline the need to strengthen diagnostic capacity and treatment services in Lautoka and the wider Western Division to reduce the need for patients to travel for specialist care. Dr Kumar’s findings are the latest local clinical data to inform discussions about resource allocation and cancer control priorities in Fiji.
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