Cancer scenario at a tertiary care teaching hospital in rural Maharashtra

Abstract

Introduction: Cancer is a major public health problem, which is increasing at a rapid rate. Study of the magnitude of the problem and the type of cancers prevalent in our local setting will help to plan and assess control measures. This study was carried out at a tertiary care teaching hospital in rural Maharashtra, with the study population mainly from rural areas and most of the patients belonging to low socioeconomic status.

Methods: This is a retrospective observational study analyzing data over a period of 3 years.

Results: Malignancies constituted 2% of the total histopathological specimens received in the Department of Pathology. The peak incidence of malignancies was noted in the age group 41-70 years. Female patients outnumbered male patients marginally. The leading 5 malignancies in our set up were malignancies of Oral Cavity, followed by Gastrointestinal tract, Female genital tract, Breast and Male genital tract malignancies. In males, Oral cavity malignancies were the commonest and the main site involved was the buccal mucosa, while in females, malignancies of Female genital tract were the leading malignancy with cervical cancer being the commonest.

Conclusion: Various activities for awareness, prevention, early detection and treatment are being carried out in our institute. The importance of rural cancer registries is also emphasized.