KEY POINTS
- Oral cancer is most common among males
- A total of 7,169 cancer cases were analysed
- Malignancies predominantly affected adults
ISLAMABAD: A four-year academic review of cancer cases recorded by the Hyderabad Cancer Registry (HCR) has revealed that breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in Pakistan’s Sindh province, while oral, prostate, and bladder cancers are most prevalent among men.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences (LUMHS), Jamshoro, the research concluded that “when both genders are considered, breast cancer emerged as the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in Sindh province of Pakistan, whereas oral cancer was the most common among males.”
The study, undertaken by LUMHS in partnership with the Karachi Cancer Registry, Health Research Institute, National Institute of Child Health, and Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, sought to determine cancer incidence across various age groups and sexes over the years 2020 to 2023.
It aimed to identify prevalent cancers and inform both public and private sector cancer control strategies.
Categorising patients
The effort was supervised by LUMHS Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Ikram Din Ujjan and Dr Shahid Pervez from Aga Khan University, Karachi. It also aimed to explore risk factors to aid in setting priorities for cancer prevention and control.
All biopsy samples were sent to the central diagnostic facility of LUMHS located in Jamshoro and Hyderabad. Patients were categorised into three age brackets: up to 14 years, up to 19 years, and 20 years and above.
A total of 7,169 cancer cases were analysed—3,310 males (46.2%) and 3,859 females (53.8%).
The data showed that malignancies predominantly affected adults, with 6,967 cases (97.18%) in individuals aged 20 or older. Only 104 cases (1.45%) were recorded in adolescents and 98 cases (1.37%) in children.
The study highlighted that oral cancer was the second most frequent cancer among women as well.
Notably, it pointed out that while oral cancer ranks only 13th globally among all cancers, it remains the most commonly reported in males and the second most common in females at the HCR.
