Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the cancer incidence and distribution in the province of Şırnak by examining the two years data of two pathology laboratories in Şırnak and Cizre State Hospital.

Material and Method: One hundred fifty two cases of cancer diagnosed between January 2009 and December 2010 were reviewed retrospectively from the archive. Types of cancer, age and gender profile of the patients with the pathology reports were obtained.

Results: Sixty-two patients (40.78%) were male and 90 (59.22%) were female. The male to female ratio was 0.68. The youngest patient was 14, the oldest patient was 96 years old, and the mean age was 54.81. Fifty-nine patients (38.81%) were under the age of 50 and 93 (61.19%) were aged 50 and over. In order of frequency, the most common cancer was skin cancer (43.42%), followed by thyroid cancer (14.47%), colorectal cancers (9.86%), breast cancer (21.9%), gastric cancer (5.26%), esophageal cancer (3.28%), soft tissue, bladder and appendix cancers (1.97%), lung and cervical cancers (31.1%) and nasal cavity, gall bladder, testicular, liver, ovary, endometrium, prostate, kidney and lymph node cancer (0.65%). The five most common cancers were skin, colorectal, stomach, thyroid, esophagus cancer in men and skin, thyroid, breast, colorectal, esophagus cancer in women. Basal cell carcinoma was the most common skin cancer.

Conclusion: Skin cancers and thyroid and colorectal cancers are common in our region. Skin cancers are the most common cancers in both genders.