First cancer statistics report from Hazara division

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Public Health
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Global rise in cancer incidence necessitates robust cancer control strategies.
• A National Cancer Registry is crucial for effective cancer policy, resource allocation, and progress tracking.
• Pakistan faces significant challenges in cancer prevention, screening, and surveillance due to the absence of a national registry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the patterns of cancer incidence in a specific region of Pakistan.
• To highlight the importance of a functional cancer registry for public health initiatives.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 555 hospital records from Ayub Teaching Hospital, Abbottabad (2007-2012).
• Data collected using a standard data capture form.
• Cancer diagnoses confirmed clinically and histopathologically.

Main Results:

• Leukaemias (15.14%), breast carcinoma (13.69%), and lymphomas (12.07%) were the most prevalent malignancies.
• Among males, Hodgkin's lymphoma and lymphocytic leukaemia were most common; prostate cancer was also noted.
• In females, breast carcinoma and ovarian carcinoma showed the highest incidence.

Conclusions:

• The study identified a variety of prevalent cancers, particularly in an underserved population.
• Sub-optimal record-keeping practices were observed.
• Cancer prevalence in the studied area shows some divergence from national patterns, underscoring the need for localized data.