Epidemiological Profile of Cancer Patients Received Radiotherapy Treatment in A Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.36283/ziun-pjmd14-2/034Keywords:
Cancer Epidemiology, Karachi, Radiotherapy, Types of CancerAbstract
Background: Cancer is the second leading cause of death around the world and is one of the most serious non-contagious diseases. Its incidence and demography form the basis of prevention and screening. However, existing data from cancer registries is limited in our part of the world. This study is powered to discuss the epidemiological profile of cancer patients for radiation treatment in a calendar year.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was done to assess the records of the cancer patients, receiving radiation treatment from January to December 2023 for one year at the Department of Oncology, Dr. Ziauddin Hospital total of 546 patients. The data was collected based on epidemiological information like demographic details, distribution of areas, and the type of cancer and its treatment. Data were analyzed using SPSS v.26.0. Data were presented as demographic characteristics, frequencies, and percentages.
Results: A total of 546 cases of cancer were reviewed during the study period. Among them, 51.6% (n=282) patients were female and 44% (n=240) were between 41-60 years of age. 83.9% of the cases (n=458) came from Sindh, with the majority, that is 71.5% (n=392), belonging to Karachi. Breast cancer was the most frequent type of cancer, having the maximum number of cases, 27.7%, and had a high proportion in comparison with world-level and national statistics. Nearly 55.8% of cases presented with regional extent of disease.
Conclusion: The data, which includes valuable radiotherapy-related insights, plays a crucial role in cancer prevention by identifying key risk factors, serving as a foundation for developing national screening protocols tailored to our region, enabling early detection and timely intervention, and contributing to a more effective, evidence-based approach to cancer control and improved patient outcomes.
References
Klement RJ. Cancer as a global health crisis with deep evolutionary roots. Global Transitions. 2024 Jan 1;6:45-65.
Hughes L, Taylor RM, Beckett AE, Lindner OC, Martin A, McCulloch J, et al. The Emotional Impact of a Cancer Diagnosis: A Qualitative Study of Adolescent and Young Adult Experience. Cancers. 2024 Mar 29;16(7):1332.doi: 10.3390/cancers16071332
Yu H, Li H, Zuo T, Cao L, Bi X, Xing H, et al. Financial toxicity and psychological distress in adults with cancer: A treatment-based analysis. Asia Pac J Oncol Nurs. 2022 Apr 20;9(9):100069.doi: 10.1016/j.apjon.2022.04.008
Mudaranthakam DP, Wick J, Calhoun E, Gurley T. Financial burden among cancer patients: A national-level perspective. Cancer Med. 2023 Feb;12(4):4638-46.doi: 10.1002/cam4.5049
Smith GL, Lopez-Olivo MA, Advani PG, Ning MS, Geng Y, Giordano SH, et al. Financial Burdens of Cancer Treatment: A Systematic Review of Risk Factors and Outcomes. J Natl Compr Canc Netw. 2019 Oct 1;17(10):1184-92. doi: 10.6004/jnccn.2019.7305.
Bray F, Laversanne M, Weiderpass E, Soerjomataram I. The ever‐increasing importance of cancer as a leading cause of premature death worldwide. Cancer. 2021 Aug 15;127(16):3029-30. doi: 10.1002/cncr.33587
ReFaey K, Tripathi S, Grewal SS, Bhargav AG, Quinones DJ, Chaichana KL, et al. Cancer Mortality Rates Increasing vs Cardiovascular Disease Mortality Decreasing in the World: Future Implications. Mayo Clin Proc Innov Qual Outcomes. 2021 Jun 8;5(3):645-53.doi: 10.1016/j.mayocpiqo.2021.05.005
Thun MJ, DeLancey JO, Center MM, Jemal A, Ward EM. The global burden of cancer: priorities for prevention. Carcinogenesis. 2010 Jan;31(1):100-10. doi: 10.1093/carcin/bgp263
Hashmi SK, Geara F, Mansour A, Aljurf M. Cancer management at sites with limited resources: challenges and potential solutions. The Comprehensive Cancer Center. 2022 Oct 29:173-85.doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-82052-7_18
Parkin D. The role of cancer registries in cancer control. International journal of clinical oncology / Japan Society of Clinical Oncology. 2008 Apr;13:102-11. doi: 10.1007/s10147-008-0762-6.
Posadas-Martinez ML, Vicens J, Dawidowski AR, Martinez Von Scheidt MA, Pagotto VL, Blugerman GA, et al. The role of registries in improving health and bridging healthcare, research, education, innovation and development: a research department perspective. J Int Med Res. 2024 Mar;52(3):3000605241233140. doi: 10.1177/03000605241233140.
Ikram A, Pervez S, Khadim MT, Sohaib M, Uddin H, Badar F, et al. National cancer registry of Pakistan: first comprehensive report of cancer statistics 2015-2019. J Coll Physicians Surg Pak. 2023 Jun;33(6):625-32. doi: 10.29271/jcpsp.2023.06.625.
Khan NH, Duan S-F, Wu D-D, Ji X-Y. Better reporting and awareness campaigns needed for breast cancer in Pakistani women. Cancer Management and Research. 2021 Mar 2:2125-9. doi: 10.2147/CMAR.S270671.
Łukasiewicz S, Czeczelewski M, Forma A, Baj J, Sitarz R, Stanisławek A. Breast Cancer-Epidemiology, Risk Factors, Classification, Prognostic Markers, and Current Treatment Strategies-An Updated Review. Cancers (Basel). 2021 Aug 25;13(17). doi: 10.3390/cancers13174287.
Key T, Appleby P, Reeves G, Travis R, Alberg A, Barricarte A, et al. Endogenous Hormones and Breast Cancer Collaborative Group. Sex hormones and risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women: a collaborative reanalysis of individual participant data from seven prospective studies. Lancet Oncol. 2013 Sep;14(10):1009-19. doi: 10.1016/S1470-2045(13)70301-2.
Fiorica JV. Breast cancer screening, mammography, and other modalities. Clinical obstetrics and gynecology. 2016 Dec;59(4):688-709. doi: 10.1097/GRF.0000000000000246.
Yusuf A. Cancer Care in Pakistan. Japanese journal of clinical oncology. 2013 Aug;43. doi: 10.1093/jjco/hyt078.
Muhammad Q, Eiman H, Fazal F, Ibrahim M, Gondal MF. Healthcare in Pakistan: Navigating Challenges and Building a Brighter Future. Cureus. 2023 Jun 10;15(6):e40218. doi: 10.7759/cureus.40218.
Pervez S, Jabbar AA, Haider G, Ashraf S, Qureshi MA, Lateef F, et al. Karachi Cancer Registry (KCR): Age-Standardized Incidence Rate by Age-Group and Gender in a Mega City of Pakistan. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2020 Nov 1;21(11):3251-8. doi: 10.31557/APJCP.2020.21.11.3251.
Qureshi MA, Khan S, Sharafat S, Quraishy MS. Common Cancers in Karachi, Pakistan: 2010-2019 Cancer Data from the Dow Cancer Registry. Pak J Med Sci. 2020 Nov-Dec;36(7):1572-8. doi: 10.12669/pjms.36.7.3056.
Khan MF, Hayhoe RP, Kabir R. Exploring the Risk Factors for Oral Cancer in Pakistan: A Systematic Literature Review. Dent J (Basel). 2024 Jan 29;12(2). doi: 10.3390/dj12020025.
Anwar N, Pervez S, Chundriger Q, Awan S, Moatter T, Ali TS. Oral cancer: Clinicopathological features and associated risk factors in a high risk population presenting to a major tertiary care center in Pakistan. PLoS One. 2020 Aug 6;15(8):e0236359. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236359.
Shewale JB, Pickard RKL, Xiao W, Jiang B, Gillison ML. Independent association of marijuana use and poor oral hygiene with HPV-negative but not HPV-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinomas. Cancer. 2021 Jun 15;127(12):2099-110. doi: 10.1002/cncr.33440.
Maturana-Ramírez A, Aitken-Saavedra J, Guevara-Benítez AL, Espinoza-Santander I. Hypovitaminosis D, oral potentially malignant disorders, and oral squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review. Med Oral Patol Oral Cir Bucal. 2022 Mar 1;27(2):e135-e41. doi: 10.4317/medoral.25049.
Hecht SS, Hatsukami DK. Smokeless tobacco and cigarette smoking: chemical mechanisms and cancer prevention. Nat Rev Cancer. 2022 Mar;22(3):143-55. doi: 10.1038/s41568-021-00423-4.
Chen Y, Tong Y, Yang C, Gan Y, Sun H, Bi H, et al. Consumption of hot beverages and foods and the risk of esophageal cancer: a meta-analysis of observational studies. BMC Cancer. 2015 Jun 2;15:449. doi: 10.1186/s12885-015-1185-1.
Badar F, Anwar N, Mahmood S. Geographical variation in the epidemiology of esophageal cancer in Pakistan. Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention : APJCP. 2005 Apr-Jun;6:139- 42.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Pakistan Journal of Medicine and Dentistry
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the CreativeCommons Attribution License (CC BY) 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
