Profile of patients at a state-run tertiary cancer hospital in India: An audit

Abstract

Introduction: Decreased cancer survival in developing countries is attributed to the advanced stage at diagnosis, limited access to cancer care and unaffordability of treatment. Delhi Government set up a tertiary level cancer center in the capital of India where world-class tertiary level care is offered no cost. The present study was undertaken to assess the patient demographics of the hospital and descriptive statistics evaluated to arrive at better measures for patient treatment. Materials and methods: This is a retrospective study of all the patients registered in the Hospital in 2014. Information on socio-demographic, diagnosis, dietary details at the time of registration followed by the clinical extent of the disease and stage was analyzed. Results: A total of 6900 patients registered at the hospital in 2014. 3687 patients were found to be eligible to be included in the study. The highest number of cancer cases seen in the adult age group of 21-65 years (2717, 70%). Carcinoma breast in females (424, 11%) followed by carcinoma cervix (235, 6.4%) and in males. Head and neck cancers (928, 84%) followed by carcinoma lung (226, 82%) were common. Most common metastatic cancer at presentation was hepatobiliary (182, 64%) followed by lung (173, 63%). Conclusion: 21-65 years was the most common age group for all cancers with breast cancer in females and head neck cancers in males being the commonest cancers. Hepatobiliary and lung cancers behave aggressively and are frequently metastatic at the presentation in Delhi and Northern India.