Gastrointestinal malignancies in Zambia: a scoping review

Background Gastrointestinal (GI) malignancies account for greater than one-third of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In Zambia, there is a lack of data on epidemiology, diagnosis, management, and outcomes. We sought to review existing literature to determine the extent of research and identify gaps in knowledge pertaining to GI malignancies in Zambia. Methods We systematically searched databases including Ovid MEDLINE, CINAHL, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane Library via Ovid, Embase, Africa Wide Information via Ebsco, African Index Medicus and African Journals Online, to identify studies on GI malignancies including colorectal (CRC), pancreatic (PC), gastric (GC), esophageal (EC) and liver cancers (LC) in Zambia.  Results Of 323 studies screened, 27 were included in the final analysis. The included studies assessed an individual GI cancer or more than one GI cancer as follows: GC only (n=10, 37%), EC only (n=5, 18%), LC only (n=5, 18%), CRC only (n=2, 7%), PC only (n=1, 4%), PC, CRC, EC, GC, LC combined (n=1, 4%), CRC, EC, GC, LC combined (n=1, 4%), CRC, EC, GC combined (n=1, 4%) and EC, GC combined (n=1, 4%). Gastric cancer was the most studied (n =14 articles), followed by esophageal (n=9 articles), liver cancer (n=7 articles), colorectal (n=5 articles) and pancreatic cancer (n=2 articles).  Conclusion There is paucity of published data. Existing studies have focused mainly on prevalence and risk factors. Longitudinal studies examining incidence, prognosis and survival are needed.    Keywords: Gastrointestinal cancer, Zambia, risk factors, management, clinical outcomes.