Epidemiological profile of head and neck cancer: A descriptive study at Nishtar Hospital, Multan, Pakistan

In the world, the number of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients is increasing every day. While several studies have been conducted globally on various aspects of HNC, to the best of our knowledge, there is little to no data available on HNC in Southern Punjab. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, demographic, non-demographic, and clinico-pathological features of HNC patients in Nishtar Hospital, Multan, Pakistan. Biopsy-proven HNC patients were recruited from Nishtar Hospital, Multan. Data from HNC patients were collected and analysed to determine their demographic, non-demographic, and clinico-pathological features. This study found a higher HNC prevalence among male patients (65.3%) compared to female patients (34.7%). The mean age of patients was 54.77 ± 15.96 and 44.69 ± 14.75 years for males and females, respectively. A smoking habit was found in 51.2% of the patients. Age, smoking, and education factors showed statistically significant differences across patient groups. All HNC subsites showed a significant difference, with the larynx being the most frequently affected site (41.3%). Among cancer skin types, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) accounted for the majority (96.6%). Following the clinical features of HNC, the most prevalent types were grade II tumour (82.6%) and stage III tumour (54.5%). Tumour size T3-4, nodal status N0, and metastatic status M0 were more prevalent among the TNM classification. Age, smoking, and education were found to be more significantly associated with HNC among the patient groups.