Frequency of primary solid malignant neoplasms in both sexes, as seen in our practice.

BACKGROUND To determine the frequency of various histologic types of primary solid malignant neoplasms in males and females, in our practice, in a large series of surgical biopsies. METHODS A retrospective study of 20,000 consecutive surgical biopsies in the section of Histopathology, Aga Khan University Hospital (AKU), Karachi, in 2004. RESULTS Squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity was the commonest malignant neoplasm in males followed by diffuse Large B cell, Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and Prostatic adenocarcinoma. In females, infiltrating Ductal carcinoma of the breast was overwhelmingly the commonest malignant neoplasm followed by Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and esophagus. CONCLUSION Out of 20,000 biopsies, there were 4616 (23.08%) malignant neoplsms. Carcinoma of oral cavity is very common in our population in both sexes.