Prevalence of head-neck cancer among the Bangladeshi population: A national survey

Objectives: Despite substantial burden, no prior nationally representative data existed in Bangladesh. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of head-neck cancers (HNC) and its distribution. Material and Methods: A national, population-based survey was conducted in 2022-24 across Bangladesh using multi-stage random sampling. All household members were screened first by otolaryngologists and cases were confirmed by head-neck surgeons. Prevalence was described as per 100,000 population. Results: A total of 84,241 individuals from 18,570 households were screened. Thirty-seven cases were confirmed, yielding a prevalence was 43.9 per 100,000 population. The majority of cases were female (63.4%), aged ≥31 years. Over half reported tobacco use, and most had at least one comorbidity. The oral cavity was the most frequent cancer site (21.6%), followed by thyroid and hypopharyngeal malignancies (13.5% each). Conclusion: This first ever national study highlighted the high prevalence of head-neck cancer where oral cavity and thyroid cancers reported more prevalent.