Institution-based cancer incidence in a local population in Pakistan: nine year data analysis

At present no national level of cancer registry program exists in Pakistan and the data available from different sources, necessary for incidence, prevalence, morbidity/mortality, and etiological assessment of cancer and cancer control programs, are from hospital or institutional databases. Karachi Institute of Radiotherapy and Nuclear Medicine (KIRAN) is a comprehensive healthcare facility for diagnosis, treatment and research of all cancers. This is a retrospective analysis of the cancer patients of both genders of all age groups to determine frequencies of different cancers presented to this Institute from 1st January 2000 to 31 December 2008. A total of 16,351 cancer patients were registered at KIRAN during the nine year period. Male cancers accounted for 48.1% and female cancers 51.8%. Some 558 (3.4%) were in children (0-15 years). The mean ages at presentation for males and females were 50-/+9.6 and 47-/+7.4 years respectively. In males the five most frequent malignancies were head and neck (32.6%), lung (15%), gastrointestinal tract (GIT) (6.9%), lymphoma (6.1%), and bone and soft tissue (4.9%). In females breast cancer was the most common cancer accounting for 38.2% followed by head and neck (15.1%), cervical (5.5%), ovarian (4.9%) and GIT cancer (4.9%) respectively. Cancer prevalence in different age groups with respect to gender and the epidemiologies of most common cancers with reference to our cultural and environmental factors and dietary habits are also discussed. Overall cancer incidence in nine years in this tertiary care cancer institution showed that head and neck cancers in males and breast cancers in females are most common, at rates almost highest in Asia. Mean age and male to female ratio in all other cancers are essentially comparable to other developing countries.