Epidemiological trends of colorectal cancer cases in young population of Eastern India: A retrospective observational study.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a disease of the older population in developed countries where the incidence among the young is rising despite the decline in the overall incidence. Contrary to this, in India, which is a low-incidence country for CRCs, the incidence among all age groups including the young is rising. This study aimed at describing the clinico-demographic profile of young CRC cases and the epidemiological trend of the proportion of young cases from 2014 to 2021 in a tertiary cancer center in Eastern India. METHODS: This retrospective observational study was conducted at Department of Radiation Oncology, State Cancer Institute, IGIMS Patna, India a prominent tertiary cancer care center of Bihar. All histopathologically confirmed CRC cases in the 0-39 years age group were considered young and evaluated for the clinical, demographic profile as well as yearly trends in proportion out of total CRC cases. Microsoft Excel (2021) was used for statistical analysis. A P value of 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: Young colorectal (less than 40 years) patients constituted a third (n = 344, 33.4%) of total colorectal (n = 1028) cases. The median age among the young CRC cases was 30 years (range: 12 to 39 years). Rectum was the most common subsite noted (n = 255,74.1%) among this group of young patients. The most commonly encountered stage of the disease was III (n = 107, 31.1%) and chemotherapy was the most common treatment offered (n = 153, 44.5%). The proportion of young (0-39 years) CRC cases ranged between 29.4 and 37.4 (mean 33.5 ± 2.77, P value = 0.725) over the calendar years of the study period. CONCLUSION: The proportion of young (<40 years of age) cases out of total CRC cases in our study is higher than that in developed countries. However, the trends of this proportion have been consistent over the study period, i.e., from 2014 to 2021 without any significant change in our hospital-based cancer registry. Rectal cancer affected nearly three out of every four CRC patients in this age group. More advanced disease at presentation emphasizes the need for measures of screening, early diagnosis, and adequate infrastructure for treatment.

Cancer trends in Eastern India: Retrospective hospital-based cancer registry data analysis.

BACKGROUND: Trends of cancer cases vary across several hospital-based cancer registries (HBCRs). There is a paucity of demographic data to evaluate trends of cancer in Eastern India. AIM: The aim of this study is to evaluate trends and pattern of cancer cases with respect to time from HBCR from Bihar. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study is to evaluate the numbers of consecutive patients registered with eight most common type of cancer in our HBCR in Regional Cancer Centre, Bihar, and to evaluate trends of cancer cases registered with respect to time. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Demographic profile of consecutive cancer patients registered from January 2014 to December 2016 (3 years) in HBCR was obtained. Patients diagnosed with common malignancies including head-and-neck cancer, gallbladder, breast, cervix, ovary, esophagus, stomach, hematolymphoid, and colorectal were analyzed. Frequency distribution, crosstabs, and line diagram were used to evaluate the trends of these common cancers with respect to time. RESULTS: Sixty-six thousand and twenty-nine consecutive patients were registered between 2014 and 2016. Carcinoma gallbladder was the most common malignancy (21%), followed by head-and-neck cancer (19%) and breast cancer (15%). Median age at the diagnosis was 55 years for carcinoma gallbladder while 53 years and 46 years for head-and-neck and breast cancer, respectively. Male-to-female ratio was 0.6 for carcinoma gallbladder and 1.8 for head-and-neck cancer. A number of gallbladder and head-and-neck cancer registered increased by 36% (between 2014 and 2015) and 5% (between 2015 and 2016) and 24% (between 2014 and 2015) and 4% (between 2015 and 2016), respectively. Carcinoma breast and cervix showed decreasing trend with fall in registration up to 13% (between 2015 and 2016) and 27% (between 2015 and 2016), respectively. CONCLUSION: Carcinoma gallbladder is the most common cancer in Bihar. Head-and-neck cancer and carcinoma gallbladder are increasing while breast and cervical cancers are decreasing with respect to time.

Carcinoma cervix de novo with widespread cutaneous/subcutaneous metastasis: A rare case report.

Cancer of the uterine cervix is one of the leading gynecological malignancies of developing nations including India. A 45-year-old female presented with menstrual irregularities and other nonspecific symptoms. After initial workup, she was diagnosed with carcinoma cervix, Stage IV A, while she was being planned to take up radical concomitant chemoradiotherapy, she developed widespread nodules over various sites over the body, which were histopathologically proven as metastatic lesions. She was treated with a palliative intent by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Only a few such cases have been reported in the literature with variable outcomes. These rare presentations should be thoroughly worked up and studied to know more about their biological behavior.

Geographical pattern of carcinoma gallbladder in Bihar and its association with river Ganges and arsenic levels: Retrospective individual consecutive patient data from Regional Cancer Centre.

BACKGROUND: Indo-Gangetic basin is known to have higher incidence of gallbladder cancer. Proximity to River Ganga and high heavy metal in soil exposure have been postulated as risk factors. AIM: This study aims to evaluate the geographical pattern of gallbladder cancer from consecutive patient database enrolled in hospital-based cancer registry (HBCR). OBJECTIVES: To evaluate demographic profile and districtwise/zonewise dispersion of gallbladder cancer cases registered in HBCR from year 2014 to 2016. To evaluate association of carcinoma gallbladder (CaGB) due to proximity of Ganges, districts of high soil arsenic levels and referral bias. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Demographic profile and district-based location of individual consecutive gallbladder cancer patient registered in Regional Cancer Centre from the year 2014 till 2016 were analyzed. Population data from 2011 census and arsenic soil content data from central groundwater body were obtained. Frequency distribution, cross tabulation, and odds ratio were used to analyze risk of CaGB across population subsets in Bihar. RESULTS: A total of 1291 consecutive patients of CaGB were registered from 2014 to 2016. Median age at diagnosis was 55 years (range 18-95 years). Male to female ratio was 0.6. Patna (16%) followed by Vaishali (5.8%), Sitamarhi (5%), Madhubani (4.7%), Gaya (4%), and Samastipur (4%) had highest cases. Districts along main central River Ganga (n = 12) and those exposed to high arsenic soil content (n = 15) had higher odds ratio for CaGB, 1.72 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.54-1.91, P = 0.001), and 1.45 (95% CI: 1.30-1.62, P = 0.001), respectively. Districts within 100 km radius of our institute had higher gallbladder cancer cases, odds ratio 1.81 (95% CI: 1.62-2.03, P = 0.001), suggesting significant referral bias predominantly contributed by cases registered under Patna and Vaishali districts. CONCLUSION: CaGB is major public health problem in Bihar. Exposure to high soil arsenic levels and proximity to River Ganga are strongly associated with gallbladder cancer. Systematic population-based longitudinal studies are needed to explore above hypothesis.