Tracking Changes in Age Distribution of Head and Neck Cancer in the U.S. from 1975‐2016

xlomafota13 shared this article with you from Inoreader Tracking Changes in Age Distribution of Head and Neck Cancer in the U.S. from 1975‐2016 Via Clinical Otolaryngology Abstract Introduction Several independent studies report an alarming increase of patients younger than 40 being diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. There is currently a lack of available data clearly tracking changes in the age distribution of head and neck cancer (HNC) within the U.S. This study attempts to elucidate any trends in oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx and hypopharynx cancer age distribution in the United States population from 1975-2016. Unlike previous studies, this paper does not track incidence, but rather reports proportional changes of prevalence within age cohorts over time. Methods This is a retrospective chart review centered on data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). Each decade interval from 1975-2016 displays the proportion of HNC patients, classified by primary tumor subsite, within each age cohort. Results Mean age at diagnosis increased for all subsites except oropharynx. Oropharyngeal cancer was the only subsite to show a decrease in the mean age at diagnosis. In addition, oropharyngeal cancer was the only subsite to demonstrate an overall increase in proportional prevalence, largely due to increased incidence in middle age (40-59 years) patients. Cancers of the oral cavity were the only subset to show a true increase in the proportion of young (0-39 years) patients, but its mean age at diagnosis still increased. When stratifying by gender, the proportion of young patients in female HNC cases is higher than the young male proportion. Conclusion Overall, this study demonstrates an increased proportion of older HNC patients that is consistent with the aging population. Oral cavity cancer demonstrated a true increase in the proportion of young patients, likely due to the increased incidence of young women diagnosed with this cancer. Oropharyngeal cancer was the only subsite to show a decrease in the mean age at diagnosis. The increased proportion of middle-age patients with oropharyngeal cancer likely reflects the increase in HPV-related cancers. View on the web Inoreader. Take back control of your news feed. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook.