Head and neck cancer in Tanzania in comparison with The Netherlands

A group of 131 patients with head and neck cancer in Tanzania (group A) is compared with a simultaneously selected group of 318 patients in The Netherlands (group B). In group A, the patients were about a decade younger, had lower frequency of cancer of the larynx and higher of the nasopharynx and the paranasal sinuses; in the 2 latter sites more often of the squamous cell type than in group B. The predominance of nasopharyngeal carcinoma was linked to the predominance of young patients, bilateral lymph node involvement and distant metastases. The tumours in group A tended to be large, often producing severe signs. A possible association is stipulated between the occurrence of tumour of the nasal cavity and the local habit of sniffing tobacco. The survival rate in group A was poorer than in group B except for nasopharynx cancer.