Cancer Epidemiology in Radiation Oncology: An Institutional Experience From North India During ۲۰۱۶-۲۰۲۲

Background and aims: Cancer is emerging as a serious health issue in developing countries mainlyas a consequence of metamorphosis in the demography and epidemiology of various cancers. Thisstudy aimed to describe our institutional experience in terms of demographic, clinical, and radiationtreatment characteristics in cancer patients.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on histopathologically proven carcinomacases treated with radiation therapy (RT) from January ۱, ۲۰۱۶ to May ۳۱, ۲۰۲۲ at Capitol Hospital,Jalandhar. All enrolled ۳۷۵۳ patients’ data were retrieved from medical records on January ۱, ۲۰۲۲.Baseline demographic, clinical information, and radiation treatment details were compiled, andchi-square test was performed to compare categorical data of age versus histology. The Jonkheere-Terpstra and Cuzick method was used to test the trend across different time periods for categoricalvariables (P < ۰.۰۵).Results: The trend analysis of the year-wise distribution and age demonstrated that the majority ofdiagnosed patients were in the age group of ۵۱-۷۰ years (mean age ± standard deviation, ۵۸ ± ۱۳.۱۲).Most oncological patients represented good compliance (۹۳.۲%). The intention of radiation treatmentwas curative in ۸۴.۴% of patients, while the remaining patients (۱۵.۶%) were treated with palliativeintent. It was found that RT plays a major role in the breast (۲۱.۱%), head and neck (۲۰.۴%), andfemale genitourinary (GU) (۱۶.۲%) malignancies as compared to male GU, gastrointestinal (GI), andother malignancies.Conclusion: The findings revealed carcinoma breast, cervix uteri, head and neck, prostate, andesophagus as established cancers being treated with RT. Our analysis showed good compliance tothe RT of ۹۳.۸% owing to modern techniques. The most common histologies were adenocarcinomaand squamous cell carcinoma observed in the age group of ۵۱-۷۰ years. The findings represented thatRT is utilized in various settings in the multidisciplinary management of cancer. This epidemiologicaldistribution might contribute to planning cancer control strategies in the near future.

Keywords:

Cervix , Esophagus , Radiation oncology