Trends in the Incidence of Nasopharyngeal Cancer in Saudi Arabia Across One Decade (2007 to 2016)

Abstract

Background Cancer is an ongoing global health concern; it is the greatest cause of mortality in the industrialized world and the second-highest cause of death in the developing world. This study aims to assess the incidence and geographic distribution of nasopharyngeal cancer between 2007 and 2016 in Saudi Arabia. Methods Data between 2007 and 2016 from Saudi Cancer Registry reports were collected in this study. These reports provide information on all cancer cases, including the age, sex, geographic location, and year of diagnosis for each patient. Result Between 2007 and 2016, the Saudi Cancer Registry identified 110,075 cancer cases in total. The mean age-standardized rate of all cancer types for women was 51.7 compared with 48.2 for men. The percentage of cases of nasopharyngeal cancers was 1.2% for women and 2.2% for men in 2007. This percentage decreased to 0.8% for women and increased to 2.7% for men in 2016 in comparison to all cancer cases. The curve for nasopharyngeal cancer of all cancer types for men and women correlated with rises and drops in men over the study period, and a minor decrease in women over time, until another rise in 2016. A positive correlation was observed between nasopharyngeal cancer incidence and age. The age-standardized rate data for nasopharyngeal cancer cases demonstrated a wide variation across Saudi regions. The age-standardized rate per 100,000 people from 2007 to 2016 ranged from 0.39 in Jazan to 1.92 in Qassim, with a national average of 1.06. Conclusion From 2007 to 2016, the overall trend of the age-standardized rate for men fluctuated while the female rate slightly dropped before rising again. On the contrary, the incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer varies by region in Saudi Arabia. Further study of this variation would help focus awareness campaigns on the most susceptible regions.

Pedunculated Nasopharyngeal Mass: A Case of Squamous Cell Carcinoma

“…Nevertheless, there are certain geographical variations, with China having one of the highest rates of incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer. In Saudi Arabia, the incidence rate is approximately the same as the international rate but interestingly shows significant variation between different regions, with the Qassim region having the highest age-standardized rate [ 3 ]. Patients with NPC commonly experienced a delay in diagnosis, and Al-Rajhi et al studied this issue.…”

“…According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, in 2022, the incidence of NPC reached 1.3 per 100,000 people [ 2 ]. At the national level in Saudi Arabia, the national average age-standardized rate of nasopharyngeal cancer per 100,000 people over a study period of 10 years was 1.06, with the correlation between the age and incidence of the disease being noticed, with increased incidence with age [ 3 ]. The clinical presentation of patients with NPC depends primarily on the invasion of the primary disease and nodal involvement.…”

Locally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma in adolescents treated with tomotherapy: Experience at King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre

“…Within this region, East and Southeast Asia hold the majority of cases, contributing 71% of the diagnoses, while South and Central Asia account for the remaining 29%. 2 Head and neck cancers account for 6% of all diagnosed cancers in Saudi Arabia. Of those, 33% are newly diagnosed NPCs annually.…”

Incidence, Pattern, and Possible Risk Factors for Nasopharyngeal Cancer in the Qassim Region

“…The prevalence of nasopharyngeal cancer in the Saudi population fluctuates from year to year; however, there was a sharp rise in cases between 2017 and 2016. The fact that there is a correlation between age and incidence for both men and women show that, in Saudi Arabia, nasopharyngeal cancer primarily affects the elderly [ 17 ]. According to a recent study, the age-standardized rate (ASR) of nasopharyngeal cancer in Saudi Arabia varies by region.…”

“…Jazan and the northern regions, in contrast, had the lowest ASR. The Jouf region had the largest ASR of females with nasopharyngeal cancer, followed by the Qassim region [ 17 ].…”