Head and neck oncology experience in Makkah, Saudi Arabia

To present our experience in head and neck cancer, and the development of our own local electronic Makkah Head and Neck Database.

A prospective collection of cases was conducted between October 2007 and November 2008 of patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer within the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at Al-Noor Specialist Hospital, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Forty-four patients were included in this study. There were 24 males (54.5%), and 20 females (45.5%). Sixteen patients (36.4%) had oral cavity cancer, 10 patients (22.7%) had hypopharyngeal cancer, 10 patients (22.7%) had nasopharyngeal cancer, 6 patients (13.6%) had thyroid cancer, and 2 patients (4.5%) had neck secondary-unknown primary. Thirty-six patients (81.8%) presented with stages III and IV versus 8 patients (18.1%) with stages I and II (p=0.0016). Twenty-four patients (54.5%) were managed primarily by surgery, while 20 patients (45.5%) were managed primarily non-surgically in the form of external beam radiotherapy (XRT), or XRT/Chemotherapy. Outcomes were: 16 patients (38%) were free of any recurrence, 2 patients (5%) died in the perioperative period, 2 patients (5%) had loco-regional recurrence, and 24 patients (54%) were lost follow up.

All oncological services of head and neck cancer patients including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy should be provided in one oncology center, and managed through a standard one channel, namely, the Head and Neck Oncology Board, to achieve standard patient care, adequate follow up, and surveillance.