HISTOPATHOLOGICAL STUDY OF NASOPHARYNGEAL CANCER IN AMINU KANO TEACHING HOSITAL, KANO, NIGERIA: A TEN-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW (JANUARY 2005 TO DECEMBER 2014)

Abstract

Background: Published studies from other parts of Nigeria indicate nasopharyngeal
cancer (NPC) is the commonest head & neck malignancy in the country, but there has
been no study carried out in our hospital. This review therefore endeavours to evaluate
and document the pattern in Kano, northern Nigeria.
Methodology: This was a 10-year (2005-2014) retrospective study of all nasopharyngeal
cancers diagnosed at the pathology department of Aminu Kano teaching hospital in
Kano, northern Nigeria. Biopsies had been routinely processed for paraffin embedding
and haematoxylin/eosin staining. Special stain (cytokeratin immunohistochemistry) was
deployed where necessary. Histological diagnoses were in accordance with WHO
classification. Relevant biodata (age, sex) were obtained from laboratory records.
Results: NPC accounted for 1.3% of all cancers during the study period and was twice as
common in males than in females (M:F = 2.1:1). Patients‟ ages ranged from 16 years to
70 years with median of 38 years and bimodal peaks in the 3th & 5th decades. Squamous
carcinoma was the most frequent histologic type (89.3%), followed by non-Hodgkin
lymphoma (4%), sarcomas (4%) and other carcinomas (2%).
Prevalent squamous carcinoma subtypes were undifferentiated (45.3%), non-keratinizing
(26.7%) and keratinizing carcinomas (16%).
Conclusion: The findings were broadly similar to those from other Nigerian centres, but
slightly at variance with other low incidence zones in developed world. Improved
availability of ENT services and radiotherapy would go a long way to improve clinical
outcome.

HISTOPATHOLOGICAL STUDY OF NASOPHARYNGEAL CANCER IN AMINU KANO TEACHING HOSITAL, KANO, NIGERIA: A TEN-YEAR RETROSPECTIVE REVIEW (JANUARY 2005 TO DECEMBER 2014)