International Journal of Otorhinolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery

Munjal M et al. Int J Otorhinolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2020 Jun;6(6):1175-1178

http://www.ijorl.com

pISSN 2454-5929 | eISSN 2454-5937

Profile of head and neck neoplasms at a tertiary care centre in North India: two years pilot study (2018-2019)

Manish Munjal1*, Porshia Rishi1, Nitika Tuli1, Harjinder Singh1, Shivam Talwar1, Salony Sharma1, Shubham Munjal2


1Department of ENT, 2Department of Anatomy, Dayanand Medical College, Ludhiana, Punjab, India

Received: 10 April 2020

Revised: 10 May 2020

Accepted: 11 May 2020

*Correspondence:

Dr. Manish Munjal,

E-mail: manishmunjaldr@yahoo.com

Copyright: © the author(s), publisher and licensee Medip Academy. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License, which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

ABSTRACT

Background: In India 53,251 New Head and neck cancer cases are diagnosed every year. Oral cancer is the predominant subsite among both benign and malignant lesions.

Methods: A retrospective study of cases with head and neck neoplastic lesions was conducted in department of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital Ludhiana during for a period of 2 years (January 2018 to December 2019). Demographic, gender profile of the patients was studied.

Results: Incidence of oral cancer was 21.5% followed by salivary glands 18.9%. among head and neck neoplasms over a period of 2 years (January 2018 to December 2019). The overall male to female ratio was 1:1.25, among benign was 1:1 and among malignant was 1:1.3.

Conclusions: Commonest subsite of benign lesions was - oral cavity followed by salivary glands and larynx. Most common malignant subsite was oral cavity followed by larynx and thyroid. Male patients outnumbered the female. Mean age of presentation varied according to subsite.

Keywords: Carcinoma, Benign, Malignant, Squamous cell

INTRODUCTION

Cancer of the head and neck is the sixth commonest cancer worldwide, with an increasing incidence in developing countries, commonest in India, Bier 2000.1

Head and neck masses are grouped into thyroid and non-thyroid neck masses. Neoplasm accounts for 80% of non-thyroid neck masses. Of these, 80% are metastatic and 60% have primary above the clavicle, Maisel 1980.2 Head and neck neoplasm can be divided into benign and malignant tumors. Benign neck swellings can be further classified into congenital and acquired, 90% of neck masses in children represent benign conditions of which 55% are congenital.

Benign tumors occur more frequently in the oral cavity than in the oropharynx whereas malignant tumors are more common in the oropharynx accounting for 70% of squamous cell carcinoma, 25% of lymphoma, 5% minor salivary glands tumours. Oropharyngeal squamous carcinoma is present in 10-15% of all head and neck tumors, Bradley et al.3

Tumours of the oral tongue accounts for 35%, floor of the mouth 30%, palate 12%, tonsil 10%, retromolar trigone 4%, and buccal mucosa 3% of all oral cavity tumors, Gloeckler et al.4

The aim was to study, the most common subsite and the demographic, gender profile of head and neck neoplastic lesions.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of cases with head and neck neoplastic lesions was conducted in department of otolaryngology, head and neck surgery, Dayanand Medical College and Hospital Ludhiana during a period of 2 years (January 2018 to December 2019). Demographic, gender profile of the patients, with most common subsite was studied.

Inclusion criteria were head and neck both benign and malignant lesions on fine needle aspiration cytology and punch biopsy. Exclusion criteria were patients with head and neck lesions not consenting to biopsy and fine needle aspiration cytology.

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

All statistical calculations were done using statistical package of social sciences (SPSS) 17 version statistical program for microsoft windows (SPSS Inc. released 2008. SPSS statistic for windows, version 17.0, Chicago). Ethical approval of the study was taken from the Institutional Ethics Committee.

RESULTS

Among benign lesions oral cavity is the most common subsite followed by salivary gland and larynx. Among malignant lesions oral cavity is the most common subsite followed by larynx and thyroid.

Among oral cavity, larynx, parathyroid, nose, nasopharynx male patients outnumbered the female patient. While among hypopharynx, thyroid, salivary glands and neck mass female patients outnumbered the male.

The mean age of presentation for oral cavity and oropharynx subsite was 40 years in males and 38 years in females, for thyroid neoplasia it was 38 year in males and 55 years in females; for maxillary neoplasia it was 45 years in females; in case of hypopharynx subsite 41 years in males and 39 years in females; for parathyroid neoplasia it was 30 years in males and 32 years in females; in case of salivary gland neoplasia it was 32 years in males and 28 years in females); for nasopharynx subsite it was 35 years in males; for nose it was 40 years in males and 55 years in females) and for external auditory canal neoplasia it was 35 years in males) and 40 years in females.

Table 1: Subsite.
Table reproduced from source PDF page 2
Table 2: Gender predominance.
Table reproduced from source PDF page 2
Table 3: Division according to subsites.
Table reproduced from source PDF page 3, part 1 of 2
Table reproduced from source PDF page 4, part 2 of 2

DISCUSSION

Cancer of the head and neck is the sixth commonest cancer worldwide, with an increasing incidence in developing countries, commonest in India, Bier 2000.1 In this study oral cavity was the most common subsite of benign lesions followed by salivary glands and larynx. Among malignant lesions oral cavity was the most common subsite followed by larynx and the thyroid.

The most common subsites included the larynx 30.37% (n=188), lips and oral cavity 29.08% (n=180), pharynx 20.03% (n=124) and salivary glands 10.94% (n=68) in the study on head and neck neoplasms by Stoyanov et al.5 Overall male patients 166 (78.3%) outnumbered the female in this study.

In a study undertaken by the Indian council of medical research (ICMR) 1988, 66-95% cases with head and neck cancers were males. Alam et al in their study on head and neck neoplasms too stated male: female ratio as 16:1.6

Among oral cavity, larynx, parathyroid, nose, nasopharynx male patients outnumbered the female while female gender predominated in the region of hypopharynx, thyroid, salivary glands.

Miyashi et al found maximum number of patients of head and neck neoplasia worldwide were above 50 years of age.7 Agriris et al reported that most of the patients of head and neck neoplasia in india were in the age group of 50-70 years.8

CONCLUSION

Commonest subsite of benign lesions was oral cavity followed by salivary glands and larynx. Most common malignant subsite was oral cavity followed by larynx and thyroid. Male patients outnumbered the female. Mean age of presentation varied according to subsite.

Funding: No funding sources

Conflict of interest: None declared

Ethical approval: The study was approved by the Institutional Ethics Committee

REFERENCES

  1. 1. Bier A. The nature of head and neck cancer. In Watkinson JC, Gaze MN Wilson JA. Stell and Maran’s Head and Neck surgery. 4th edition. London: Hodder Arnold; 2000: 1.
  2. 2. Maisel RH. When your patient complains of a neck mass. Geriatrics. 1980;2:103-8.
  3. 3. Bradley PJ. Management of squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx. Current Opinion Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2000;8:80-6.
  4. 4. Bradley PJ. Survey of current management of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer. J Royal College Surg Edinburgh. 1989;34:197-200.
  5. 5. Stoyanov GS, Kitanova M, Dzhenkov DL. Demographics of Head and Neck Cancer Patients: A Single Institution Experience. Cureus. 2017;9(7):1418.
  6. 6. Alam MS, Siddiqui SA, Perween R. Epidemiological profile of head and neck cancer patients in Western Uttar Pradesh and analysis of distributions of risk factors in relation to site of tumor. J Can Res Ther. 2017;13:430-5.
  7. 7. Miyaishi O, Ando F, Matsuzawa K, Kanawa R, Isobe K. Cancer incidence in old age. Mech Ageing Dev. 2000;117:47-55.
  8. 8. Argiris A, Karamouzis MV, Raben D, Ferris RL. Head and neck cancer. Lancet. 2008;371(9625):1695-709.