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.