Publication:

Epidemiological profile of cancer patients in surgery ward of a tertiary teaching hospital in the Vindhya region with special reference to high proportion of carcinoma gall bladder

Background Cancer is on rise. WHO estimates that by 2030, the incidence of cancer will increase by 68% as compared to 2012. This study evaluates epidemiological profile of Cancer in the Vindhya region. Design of this study was combination of retrospective and prospective study.

Methods All cancer patients admitted in surgery ward of S. S. medical college, Rewa between 2010 to 2014 were included in the study. Data regarding age, gender, religion, socio-economic status, residence, dietary habits, addiction and site of cancer as well as mortality pattern of cancer was tabulate, analyzed and compared.

Results 1186 cases were included in this study which constituted 3.02% of total admissions in surgical ward. 50.25% were males, 49.75% were females. Most common age groups were middle age group i.e. 35-64 years (25.30% males, 32.29% females, total 57.59%) and geriatric (19.48% males, 11.38% females, total 30.86%). 95.78% were Hindus, 4.22% were Muslims. 70.40% were BPL, 29.60% were APL. 67.20% belonged to rural areas, 32.80% were from urban areas. 75.89% were vegetarians, 24.11% were non-vegetarians. 25.97% were addicted to tobacco alone, 1.52% to alcohol alone and 18.63% to both tobacco and alcohol. Breast cancer was the most prevalent cancer (19.06%), followed by cancer gall bladder (10.55%). Among males, colorectal cancer was the commonest (11.24%), gall bladder was the 4th commonest (8.22%). Among females, breast was the commonest (37.12%) and gall bladder was the 2nd commonest (12.88%). Gall bladder cancer was the commonest (13.93%) in geriatric age group, 2nd commonest (9.37%) in the middle age group and 5th commonest in the young age group (7.63%). 18.38% of all and 46.40% of gall bladder cancer presented with metastasis. 91 cancer deaths were recorded accounting for 3.64% of all deaths and the case fatality rate of cancer was 7.67%. Gall bladder cancer was the commonest cause of Cancer deaths overall (14.29%) and in females (20.00%) and 2nd commonest among males (10.70%) after Ca stomach (12.50%). Cancer gall bladder was the commonest cause of death in middle age (16.34%) and 2nd commonest in geriatric age group (15.63%).

Conclusions Cancer affects all genders, ages and demographic profiles. Cancer of gall bladder has emerged as a major cause of morbidity and mortality in this study.