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Background Cancer is an ongoing global health concern; it is the greatest cause of mortality in the industrialized world and the second-highest cause of death in the developing world. This study aims to assess the incidence and geographic distribution of nasopharyngeal cancer between 2007 and 2016 in Saudi Arabia. Methods Data between 2007 and 2016 from Saudi Cancer Registry reports were collected in this study. These reports provide information on all cancer cases, including the age, sex, geographic location, and year of diagnosis for each patient. Result Between 2007 and 2016, the Saudi Cancer Registry identified 110,075 cancer cases in total. The mean age-standardized rate of all cancer types for women was 51.7 compared with 48.2 for men. The percentage of cases of nasopharyngeal cancers was 1.2% for women and 2.2% for men in 2007. This percentage decreased to 0.8% for women and increased to 2.7% for men in 2016 in comparison to all cancer cases. The curve for nasopharyngeal cancer of all cancer types for men and women correlated with rises and drops in men over the study period, and a minor decrease in women over time, until another rise in 2016. A positive correlation was observed between nasopharyngeal cancer incidence and age. The age-standardized rate data for nasopharyngeal cancer cases demonstrated a wide variation across Saudi regions. The age-standardized rate per 100,000 people from 2007 to 2016 ranged from 0.39 in Jazan to 1.92 in Qassim, with a national average of 1.06. Conclusion From 2007 to 2016, the overall trend of the age-standardized rate for men fluctuated while the female rate slightly dropped before rising again. On the contrary, the incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer varies by region in Saudi Arabia. Further study of this variation would help focus awareness campaigns on the most susceptible regions.
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OBJECTIVE: To present our experience in head and neck cancer, and the development of our own local electronic Makkah Head and Neck Database. METHODS: A prospective collection of cases was conducted between October 2007 and November 2008 of patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer within the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at Al-Noor Specialist Hospital, Makkah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. RESULTS: Forty-four patients were included in this study. There were 24 males (54.5%), and 20 females (45.5%). Sixteen patients (36.4%) had oral cavity cancer, 10 patients (22.7%) had hypopharyngeal cancer, 10 patients (22.7%) had nasopharyngeal cancer, 6 patients (13.6%) had thyroid cancer, and 2 patients (4.5%) had neck secondary-unknown primary. Thirty-six patients (81.8%) presented with stages III and IV versus 8 patients (18.1%) with stages I and II (p=0.0016). Twenty-four patients (54.5%) were managed primarily by surgery, while 20 patients (45.5%) were managed primarily non-surgically in the form of external beam radiotherapy (XRT), or XRT/Chemotherapy. Outcomes were: 16 patients (38%) were free of any recurrence, 2 patients (5%) died in the perioperative period, 2 patients (5%) had loco-regional recurrence, and 24 patients (54%) were lost follow up. CONCLUSION: All oncological services of head and neck cancer patients including surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy should be provided in one oncology center, and managed through a standard one channel, namely, the Head and Neck Oncology Board, to achieve standard patient care, adequate follow up, and surveillance.
