Spectrum of malignancies in Allahabad, North India: a hospital-based study.

OBJECTIVE: To study the spectrum of malignancies in the Allahabad region of North India. This was a hospital-based analysis of malignancies from January 1991 to October 2006. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The basic information in the cancer registry included data on personal identification, demographic characteristics, diagnosis, primary site and morphology of tumours. The basis of diagnosis was histological examination of the biopsy material. RESULTS: Total of 58,031 biopsies were examined, out of which 3,133 (5.4%) were diagnosed as malignancies. Of these, 1,893 (60.4%) patients were males and 1,240 (39.6%) were females, yielding a male: female sex ratio of 1.5:1. The majority of cases (2,772, 88.5%) were above the age of 30, with predominance at 41-50 years of age group (804, 25.6%). Most commonly reported tumours were those of oral cavity (370; 11.8%), oesophagus (267; 8.5%), stomach (239, 7.6%), oropharynx (207, 6.6%), cervix (192, 6.1%), breast (190, 6.0%), larynx (101, 3.2%), skin (81, 3.2%), prostate (77, 2.4%) and the urinary bladder (66, 2.1%). CONCLUSIONS: It is concluded from this retrospective study of tumours reported at this hospital over 16 years, that oral and oropharyngeal malignancies were the commonest malignancies in men, while in females, carcinoma of cervix and breast were the most frequent.

Prevalence of oral pre-malignant and malignant lesions at a tertiary level hospital in Allahabad, India.

OBJECTIVE: In a previous article, we reported the prevalence rates of oral mucosal lesions in this hospital from 1990-2001. This study was planned to study the spectrum of potentially malignant and malignant oral lesions in Allahabad, North India in the subsequent years till 2007 and to assess change in pattern of prevalence, if any. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a single institutional retrospective study in and around Allahabad from 1990 to 2007. Data was collected year wise with reference to age, sex, site involved and histopathological findings. RESULTS: 1,151 oral biopsies were reviewed. Of these, 365 biopsies were benign, 344 were potentially malignant and 442 were malignant. The buccal mucosa was the most frequently involved site in benign and premalignant lesions, however in malignant lesions, the tongue was most common site. Oral submucous fibrosis constituted the highest number of patients in premalignant group, while in malignant group, squamous cell carcinoma was most prevalent. CONCLUSION: This study showed that potentially malignant and malignant oral lesions were widespread in the patients visiting the hospital in this region.