Worldwide, there are approximately 560 000 new cases diagnosed with head and neck cancer and 300 000 deaths each year. In developing countries including Sub-Saharan Africa, head and neck cancer is rare compared to other cancers. The aims of this study are to estimate the incidence and determine the epidemiological characteristics of head and neck cancer in the population of Niger.
This is a descriptive retrospective study of head and neck cancer cases, reported to the Niger Cancer Registry in the period 1992-2009. Head and neck cancer includes the following: lip, tongue, mouth (floor, palate and other), salivary glands, tonsils, pharynx (oro-, naso- and hypopharynx), larynx, nose, ear, head and neck not otherwise specified.
In 1992-2009, there were 344 cases diagnosed with head and neck cancer in Niger, which was 4.89% of all cases of cancer reported during this period, with a male-female ratio of 1.49. The incidence rate of head and neck cancer was 2.34 cases per 100 000 persons. Oral cancer was the most common cancer (27.6%), followed by laryngeal and salivary glands cancers (13.1%) and tonsil cancer (10.2%). The mean age at diagnosis of the patients was 42.11±18.24 years. The commonest histological type was squamous cell carcinoma in 27.1% of cases. We registered 11 deaths, with a fatality rate of 3.19%.
Although the incidence rates for head and neck cancers are lower, these cancers include a diverse group of uncommon tumors that frequently are aggressive. Because of the seriousness of cancer in Niger; the health authorities should pay more attention to this pathology through efficient fight strategies.
The authors.
Has not received any funding.
All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.