Authors Munira Tahir Department of ENT, Ruth K. M. Pfau Civil Hospital Tariq Zahid Khan Department of ENT, Ruth K. M. Pfau Civil Hospital Zeba Ahmed Department of ENT, Ruth K. M. Pfau Civil Hospital Tehmina Junaid Department of ENT, Ruth K. M. Pfau Civil Hospital Rajesh Vasandani Department of ENT, Ruth K. M. Pfau Civil Hospital Muhammad Shuraim Chola Department of Medicine, Ruth K. M. Pfau Civil Hospital Ayesha Siddique Department of ENT, Ruth K. M. Pfau Civil Hospital DOI: https://doi.org/10.58397/rex2dm21 Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency, anatomical distribution, and associated risk factors of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers among patients at Dr. Ruth K.M. Pfau Civil Hospital, Karachi.

Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in the ENT department over six months, including 256 patients diagnosed with laryngeal or hypopharyngeal cancers. Participants were selected via non-probability convenience sampling. Sociodemographic details, lifestyle and dietary habits, and addiction history were obtained using a structured questionnaire. All diagnoses were confirmed through biopsy and contrast-enhanced CT scans. Statistical analyses were performed using chi-square and Cramér’s V tests to identify associations between risk factors and cancer type.
Results: Of the 256 patients, 142 (55.5%) had laryngeal cancer and 114 (44.5%) had hypopharyngeal cancer. Laryngeal cancer occurred predominantly in males (96.4%), whereas hypopharyngeal cancer was more common in females (64.03%). The most frequently affected subsites in laryngeal cancer were the supraglottic region (49%), glottis (37%), and sub glottis (14%). In hypopharyngeal cancer, the pyriform sinus (45%), posterior cricoid (34%), and posterior pharyngeal wall (21%) were most in-
volved. Significant associations were found with tobacco chewing (31.6%), smoking (18.4%), low meat consumption (52.3%), high tea intake (35.5%), low educational attainment (77.3% uneducated), and low income (51.6% earning < Rs. 25,000/month). Family history, occupation, and BMI showed no significant correlation.
Conclusion: This study highlights that laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers in Karachi are strongly influenced by lifestyle and socioeconomic factors, with marked gender-based differences in their prevalence. Tobacco use, poor dietary practices, and low education and income emerged as major contributors. These findings emphasize the urgent need for community-based awareness campaigns and preventive interventions targeting modifiable risk factors, particularly in lower socioeconomic groups, to reduce the growing burden of head and neck cancers in Pakistan.

Issue Section

Original Article

License

Copyright (c) 2025 ANNALS OF ABBASI SHAHEED HOSPITAL AND KARACHI MEDICAL & DENTAL COLLEGE

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Annals of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Karachi Medical and Dental College acquires copyright ownership of the content. The articles are distributed under a Creative Commons (CC) Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). This license permit uses, distribution and reproduction in any medium; provided the original work is properly cited and initial publication in this journal.