The burden of head and neck cancers in Thailand

To determine the overall burden of disease vis-a-vis head and neck cancers in Thailand, as indicated by visits to healthcare units, admissions for treatment and expenditures at all levels of the healthcare delivery system. A descriptive study was conducted by retrieving and analysing data for the fiscal year 2010 from the National Health Security Office (NHSO) and the Social Security Office, Thailand and from in-patient data of the Civil Servants Benefit System from the Comptroller General's Department. In 2010, there were 167,199 visits to outpatient departments (OPDs) and 26,012 admissions to hospital (IPD) for diagnosis and treatment of head and neck cancers. The most common diagnosis for visits to OPD and admission to IPD was oral cancer (28.2% and 25%, respectively). The mean length of hospital stay was 9 days. About half of admissions took place in the central region. The hospital charges totalled 691 million Baht (US$ 21.8 million), or an average of 26,556 Baht (USS 838) per admission. Since a relatively high volume of hospital visits was found, there is an urgent need to train sufficient numbers of specialists in the field of head and neck cancer treatments to provide efficient healthcare.