Assessment of Socio Demographic Factors in the Presentation of Head and Neck Cancers

Abstract

Introduction: Head & Neck cancers are most prevalent in India due to chewing tobacco and its related products. Most of these cancers present in late stages of their disease spectrum due to many social and demographic associated factors. This study determines the socio-demographic factors involved in late presentation of Head & Neck cancers.

Objective: The primary objective is to evaluate all the socio-demographic factors involved in the presentation of head & neck cancers. The secondary objective is to observe the statistical correlation between these factors with early/late presentation of cancers.

Materials & Methods: Patients who were diagnosed with Head & Neck cancers were included in this study. Patients with recurrent tumors, post-chemotherapy/post-radiotherapy and patients who had second primary tumors were excluded from this study.

Results: 50 patients were enrolled in this study. 46 patients belong to poor socioeconomic status and 4 belongs to middle class community. Primary delay (time period between onset of symptoms to first consultant with a health care facilitator), <3 months-32, >3 months-18. 42 patients had no awareness about cancer symptoms and 8 patients had awareness. 80% of people were illiterate in our study, among them 26% patients presented in early stage I/II and 34% patients presented in late stage III/IV.

Conclusion: In our study there was statistically significant association between secondary delay of patients and early/late presentation of head and neck cancer in our study. There was clinically significant association between primary delay and presentation of head and neck tumors.