Cancer in young and old patients: a single center observational study

This study was intended to assess pattern of cancer among young and old population visiting a tertiary cancer treatment center.
Material and methods: A hospital based retrospective, observational, analytic study was conducted at a cancer care tertiary center in Western India during December 2016 to May 2017. Patients who had histologically proven malignancies (both newly diagnosed and previously diagnosed) and visited cancer OPD were included. Total 3068 patients attended cancer OPD during the study period, out of them 2085 (67.96%) patient were >40 years old (age range 41-91 years) with M:F ratio 4:3. The maximum patients (590, 19.2%) were in age group of 41-60 years. Ca lung was the most prevalent malignancy (18.15%, 557/3068) and ca breast and ca oral cavity were next common malignancy with prevalence of 9.36% (287/3068) and 6.6% (202/3068) respectively. Among male cancer patients, Ca lung was the most prevalent (442/1740, 25.40%) and Ca oral cavity (170/1740, 9.77%) was second most common malignancy. In female cancer patients, Ca breast was the most frequent malignancy (20.85%, 277 /1328) followed by ca ovary (188/1328, 14.15%).
Among young population (<40 years), ca breast was the most prevalent malignancy (8.45%, 83/983) followed by ca oral cavity and ca ovary (6%, 59/983 each). Ca oral cavity was the most prevalent (51/537, 9.5%) and Ca Lung (29/537, 5.4%) was second most common malignancy in young male. In female cancer patients, Ca breast was the most frequent (17.94%, 80 /446) followed by ca ovary (59/446, 13.23%).
Among older population (>40 years), ca lung was the most prevalent malignancy (24.17%, 504/2085) followed by ca breast (9.78%, 204/2085). In male cancer patients, Ca lung was the most prevalent (413/1203, 34.33%) and Ca oral cavity (143/1203, 11.89%) was second most common malignancy. In female cancer patients, Ca breast was the most frequent malignancy with prevalence of 22.34% (197/882) and ca ovary was the second prevalent malignancy (129/882, 14.62%).
Conclusion: Malignancies are common in young patients (32.04%). Among young population (<40 years), Ca breast was the most prevalent malignancy in young patients followed by ca oral cavity. Among older population (>40 years), ca lung was the most prevalent malignancy followed by ca breast and ca gall bladder.