Study Raises Questions Over Balochistan’s Cancer Patterns
News Desk
Quetta: A major review of more than 16,000 biopsy samples has highlighted unusual cancer trends in Balochistan while also exposing significant gaps in Pakistan’s ability to accurately track the disease.
The joint study by experts from the Aga Khan Hospital and the Arya Institute of Medical Sciences, Quetta, analysed 16,342 biopsy samples collected from Balochistan. Cancer was confirmed in 5,145 samples, with men accounting for 52 percent of the diagnosed cases and women 48 percent.
The findings show a notable difference in the province’s cancer profile compared with patterns reported in other parts of Pakistan.
Among adult men, esophageal cancer emerged as the most frequently reported cancer, with 425 cases, accounting for 17.4 percent of cancer cases in this group.
Stomach cancer followed with 351 cases, while cancers affecting the colon, rectum and anus accounted for 225 cases. Researchers also recorded 223 cases of bladder cancer.
The prominence of esophageal cancer is particularly significant.
According to the study, it was almost four times more common among men in Balochistan than oral cancer, a notable departure from national and other regional patterns, where oral cancer is generally more prevalent among men.
The cancer profile among women was different. Breast cancer was the leading diagnosis, with 526 cases, followed by esophageal cancer with 434 cases. Cancers of the colon, rectum and anus accounted for 125 cases, while 113 cases of oral cancer were also recorded.
The study also found that children and adolescents made up 7 percent of the cancer cases, with brain tumours reported among a significant number of patients in this age group.
What could explain the difference?
Researchers explored several factors that could be linked to the province’s unusual cancer pattern. Regular consumption of preserved, salty and dried foods was identified as a possible risk factor, along with limited intake of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Environmental exposures and opium use were also highlighted as areas requiring further investigation.
The researchers cautioned, however, that these factors should not be treated as established causes. Further epidemiological research is needed to determine whether they have a direct relationship with the cancer patterns observed in Balochistan.
The data problem
Beyond the cancer figures themselves, the study draws attention to a major challenge: Pakistan lacks a comprehensive national cancer registry capable of consistently recording cancer cases across the country.
This gap makes it difficult to establish the true scale of cancer, compare trends between provinces and identify changes in disease patterns over time.
The researchers have called for improved cancer surveillance and more detailed research in Balochistan. They recommended bringing together clinical, radiological and pathology information to create a more complete picture of cancer incidence, risk factors and treatment outcomes.
The study does not establish why esophageal cancer is unusually prominent in Balochistan. Instead, it highlights a significant research question that requires further investigation, and underscores the importance of reliable cancer data in understanding and addressing the province’s growing health burden.
