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Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency, anatomical distribution, and associated risk factors of laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers among patients at Dr. Ruth K.M. Pfau Civil Hospital, Karachi.
Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted in the ENT department over six months, including 256 patients diagnosed with laryngeal or hypopharyngeal cancers. Participants were selected via non-probability convenience sampling. Sociodemographic details, lifestyle and dietary habits, and addiction history were obtained using a structured questionnaire. All diagnoses were confirmed through biopsy and contrast-enhanced CT scans. Statistical analyses were performed using chi-square and Cramér’s V tests to identify associations between risk factors and cancer type.Results: Of the 256 patients, 142 (55.5%) had laryngeal cancer and 114 (44.5%) had hypopharyngeal cancer. Laryngeal cancer occurred predominantly in males (96.4%), whereas hypopharyngeal cancer was more common in females (64.03%). The most frequently affected subsites in laryngeal cancer were the supraglottic region (49%), glottis (37%), and sub glottis (14%). In hypopharyngeal cancer, the pyriform sinus (45%), posterior cricoid (34%), and posterior pharyngeal wall (21%) were most in-volved. Significant associations were found with tobacco chewing (31.6%), smoking (18.4%), low meat consumption (52.3%), high tea intake (35.5%), low educational attainment (77.3% uneducated), and low income (51.6% earning < Rs. 25,000/month). Family history, occupation, and BMI showed no significant correlation.Conclusion: This study highlights that laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers in Karachi are strongly influenced by lifestyle and socioeconomic factors, with marked gender-based differences in their prevalence. Tobacco use, poor dietary practices, and low education and income emerged as major contributors. These findings emphasize the urgent need for community-based awareness campaigns and preventive interventions targeting modifiable risk factors, particularly in lower socioeconomic groups, to reduce the growing burden of head and neck cancers in Pakistan.