Relation Between Smoking and Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma at Assir Region, South of Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Introduction: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma arises from the epithelium that covers the nasopharyngeal mucosa. A variety of risk factors have been correlated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, including alcohol, tobacco, Cantonese-style salted fish, occupational exposures and herbal drugs. Objectives : This was a retrospective study made to assess the relation between smoking and nasopharyngeal carcinoma and affect of smoking on nasopharyngeal carcinoma at Assir Region conducted in Assir Central Hospital, Abha, Saudi Arabia. Methods: During a 5-year period (2011–2016), the medical records of patients with nasopharyngeal masses were collected from the department of pathology at Aseer Central Hospital .The cases were reviewed for data on gender ,age, the pathology, family history and history of smoking. Results: Over a period of 5 years, a total of 105 patients :68 men and 37 women who had nasopharyngeal masses were studied for pathological assessments. The age of presentation was ranging from 6 to 92 years. The histopathological diagnosis of the nasopharyngeal masses were: reactive lymphoid hyperplasia in 62.7%, nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) 31.4%,tuberculosis (TB) 1%, Warthin tumor 1%, non Hodgken lymphoma 2.9% and rhabdomyosarcomal 1%. In NPC, never smokers were 42.4%, current smokers 36.4% and Ex-smokers 21.2%. while in reactive hyperplasia, never smokers 81.8%, current smokers 12.1% and Ex- smokers 6.1%. Conclusions : Nasopharyngeal carcinoma has proved to be the most common type of nasopharyngeal cancer arising from the epithelial cells that line the nasopharynx. Smoking is strong risk factor in cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.