Nasopharyngeal carcinoma: An 11 year study with respect to patient characteristics, clinical aspects and staging at presentation

Global Cancer Conference & Medicare Summit

September 15-17, 2014 Hyderabad International Convention Centre, India

Wani Shaqul Qamar, Talib Khan, Lone M Maqbool, Fir Afroz and Nazir A Khan

Scientific Sessions&YRF: J Cancer Sci Ther

Abstract :

Background: Kashmir, having the pure ethnic, non-migrant population with unique lifestyle and dietary habits as a source of nitroso compounds which are implicated as causative agents for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma (NPC). Objective: To determine the age and sex distribution, dwelling, smoking habits, clinical presentation and staging at the time of diagnosis/ presentation. Method: After approval from ethical committee, the total of 116 patients of NPC on follow up and those registered in the department of radiation oncology from January 2001 to December 2012 retrospectively with regard to their demographic parameters, smoking habits, clinical presentation and staging at the time of diagnosis were analyzed. The data collected were analyzed on SPSS software to interpret the results. Finding: The age ranged from 12?85 years with Mean ± SD and median age of 46.04±16.43 and 49 years respectively. The males: female ratio of 2.75:1. Most of the patients were from rural area 81.90% (N=95). Muslims were commonly affected 96.55 % (N=112). Smokers were 39.65 % (N=46), ex smokers 3.45% (N=4), snuff user 3.45 % (N=4), and non smokers were 53.44 % (N=62). With regard to clinical symptomatology, neck swelling was common presentation and was present in 73.27 % (N=85), followed by nasal obstruction, headache, epistaxis, hearing impairment, otalgia, nasal twang, dysphagia, intracranial extension, tinnitus, hoarseness of voice, proptosis, diplopia, impairment in vision, facial pain, nasal discharge, skull base involvement, cranial nerve involvement and decrease in eye movements. With regard to stage at disease presentation, stage I presentation was very low 1.74% (N=2), stage II was 33.91(N=39), stage III 30.44% (N=30.44), and stage IV 33.91% (N=39). Interpretation: Besides smoking, the lifestyle and dietary habits are unique for living in this cold northern part of the Indian subcontinent most likely to be the causative factors associated with NPC. Further studies are needed to establish the etiological insult.

Biography :

Wani Shaqul Qamar did her MBBS from Government Medical College Srinagar in year 2004 and completed her MD in Radiation Oncology from Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS). She worked as Lecturer in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Government Medical College and Associated Hospitals, Srinagar. At present she is working as Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology, Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS), Srinagar. She has many publications in journals of international repute. She is interested in breast malignancies and head and neck cancers.