Malignant neoplasms in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

In a sample of 1000 consecutive malignant neoplasms in Saudis resident in the Western Region of Saudi Arabia, malignant lymphoma was the commonest of the life‐threatening malignancies. The differences between malignant lymphoma in this sample and Western series include the greater frequency of lymphoma; the tendency for reticulum cell and poorly differentiated lymphomas to present as abdominal lesions; the earlier peak of prevalence of Hodgkin's disease, and the dissimilar proportions of its subtypes. The distribution of cancers in the gastrointestinal tract in our sample is almost the reverse of that encountered in the West in that cancer of the mouth and esophagus were more common than cancer of the lower intestinal tract. Lung cancer was relatively uncommon. The smoking habit is not so prevalent in Saudi Arabia as in the West and there is a need to maintain this situation by discouraging smoking. Cancer of the breast was by far the commonest major malignancy in the female, although most Saudi women have their first child early in their reproductive life. Skin cancers proved to be the most prevalent malignancy, and of these squamous cell carcinoma was the most common. The biases that affect studies such as ours in Saudi Arabia are stressed.

Cancer in the Gizan Province of Saudi Arabia: An Eleven Year Study

“…Stirling et al 2 in 1979 noted broadly similar findings in a study based in a government hospital in Jeddah, though breast cancer was relatively more common than in Dhahran. As with Dhahran, Jeddah may have been exposed to Western influences at a relatively earlier time than much of the rest of Saudi Arabia.…”

Pattern of Cancer in Saudi Arabia: A Personal Experience Based on the Management of 1000 Patients.

“…Similar observations were noted by Stirling and his colleagues. 1 In their report on 1000 patients from the Western Province of Saudi Arabia, head and neck cancers accounted for 21.2 percent of all tumors, followed by gastrointestinal malignancies (16.2 percent), skin cancer (15.5 percent), lymphomas (12.8 percent), gynecologic tumors (10.3 percent), breast cancer (7.4 percent), sarcoma (7.3 percent), genitourinary neoplasms (5.1 percent), and lung cancer (4.2 percent). Such distribution is distinctively different from Western countries where gastrointestinal malignancies, lung neoplasms and skin cancers account for most tumors in males while breast cancers, gastrointestinal malignancies and gynecologic neoplasms are the commonest tumors in females.…”

“…This may explain the rarity of lung cancer in our patient population as well as other reports. 1 With the increase in smoking habits among the younger population and a greater drive toward industrialization, it is anticipated that more patients with lung cancer will be diagnosed during the next decade. All efforts should be made to discourage people from smoking.…”

“…This was obvious in one study from the Western Province where skin cancer accounted for 15 percent of all cancer patients. 1 On the other hand, the overall incidence of skin cancer in Saudi Arabia may be low. Saudi men always wear headdress, the khutra, and in the case of women, the veil, which give some protection against UV light.…”

A study of carboxyhaemoglobin levels of cigarette and sheesha smokers in Saudi Arabia.

“…'-7 While carcinoma has been well established as causally related to cigarette smoking,4 Stirling has reported a surprisingly low incidence of lung cancer (in comparison to other cancers) among Saudis despite widespread prevalence of sheesha smoking among these subjects. 8 There are no studies specific to the risk of tobacco-related diseases among the Saudis. Sheesha ( Figure 1) is a device widely used in Saudi Arabia to smoke Jurak, a dark colored paste, imported from India, which is produced when a mixture of tobacco, pulpy fruit (e.g., banana) and molasses are all cooked together.…”