Cancer in Balochistan, Pakistan, 2020-2022: A Descriptive Study

Between 2020 and 2022, Pakistan's population reached 235.7 million, with an average of 120.6 million men and 115.1 million women each year. Balochistan is in the southwest of Pakistan and is the fourth most populous region in the country, with an average annual population estimated at 13.9 m. There were 6.8 m (48.7%) children, 1.4 m (10.3%) adolescents, and 5.7 m (40.9%) adults over 2020-2022. The male population (7.4 m (52.6%)) was higher than the female population (6.6 m (47.4%)).

We conducted a study from 2020 to 2022, retrospectively evaluating the distribution of cancer in Balochistan on data reported by the collaborating centers, namely, the Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Center, and Chughtai Lab. We computed the proportional distributions of the commonly diagnosed cancers by age category.

We recorded 6,492 malignancies from Balochistan over three years from 2020 to 2022. In children (n=214 (3.3%)), 20.1% were Hodgkin lymphomas; in adolescents (n=214 (3.3%)), 19.6% were non-Hodgkin lymphomas (NHL); and in adults (n=6,064 (93.4%)), 17.5% were tumors of the breast.

This is the first report on regional cancer registration in the country's neglected province of Balochistan. It shows that cancer counts were low from 2020 to 2022. However, we can use the information recorded as the foundation to evaluate the statistics over time to see if any changes are recorded. We also need to increase awareness among the stakeholders about the impact of cancer surveillance in the region.