title: Estimating the burden of head and neck cancers in the public health sector of Pakistan.
abstract: This study was designed to establish the burden of head and neck cancers (HNCA) in public sector based cancer centres of Pakistan. Data were obtained from the central body governing all the cancer centres in the country. The frequency of treated HNCAs out of the total body cancers treated across Pakistan was found to be 14.5%. Highest prevalence rates amongst all cancers were noted in Sind, notably in Karachi and Jamshoro, followed by Multan in Punjab and a much lower frequency in Peshawar in the North West Frontier Province. This variation presumably reflects levels of betel quid consumption but more data are needed to be gathered in a comprehensive way if the findings are to be applicable for improvement of the national cancer control program.
authors.affiliation: Dept of Oral Health Sciences, Shaikh Zayed Federal Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore, Islamabad, Pakistan. saima_aamer@msn.com
authors.forename: Saima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chaudhry
authors.forename: Ayyaz Ali
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Kamran Masood
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Mirza
authors.forename: Hafiz Aamer
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Iqbal
authors.forename: Yasmeen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Masood
authors.forename: Nauman Rauf
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Khan
authors.forename: Faisal
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Izhar
mesh_terms: D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000191:economics / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D017150:Public Sector; D012042:Registries; D017678:Sex Distribution