HE accurate estimate of the incidence of malignant disease even in the most
advanced communities presents many problems. In developing countries where
vital statistics are not available the problem becomes even more complex and
difficult. Surveys in these countries in the past have mainly been concerned with
assessing the incidence of individual diseases, such as malaria, schistosomiasis and
yaws, easily diagnosed by simple laboratory techniques. However as our medical
knowledge expands and, as the control of the florid tropical diseases becomes, in
many instances, a possibility, more and more attention is being directed towards
the more intractable medical diseases of the community-of which malignant
disease is one. It is essential for the Health Authorities in planning the medical
care of the community to have some knowledge of the incidence of the individual
diseases with which they will be concerned, and this paper records an attempt to
assess the incidence of malignant disease in Ibadan, Western Nigeria.