The pattern of malignant diseases in a university hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Background: Malignant diseases are one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Thus, understanding the different risk factors related to their development, such as geographic location, to prevent and treat these diseases is very important. This study aims to describe the pattern of cancers seen in King Abdul-Aziz University Hospital (KAUH) in Jeddah during the period of 2016 to 2021. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in KAUH, Saudi Arabia. A total of 1,459 cases were obtained from Phoenix Database; the study population included all patients younger than 80 years of age with histologically confirmed malignancy in KAUH between 2016 and 2021. Hematological malignancies and non-histologically confirmed cases were excluded. All subjects were classified according to ICD-10. Results: This study had 1,459 histologically diagnosed malignancies, of which females accounted for 60.3% and males accounted for 39.7% of cases. The mean age was 55 ± 16.9 years. The most common cancers overall were colorectal (23.5%), ovarian (15.2%), thyroid (14.5%), and breast cancer (12.1%). Conclusion: The most common malignant diseases were colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, thyroid cancer, and breast cancer. Many findings in our study were consistent with previous similar research done in different countries. Primary prevention is integral to cancer management; thus, increasing population awareness of carcinogenic risk factors is critical. The findings of this study should encourage the government to distribute resources efficiently to minimize the cancer-related healthcare burden and enhance community awareness.