Community Dental Health

cover art

Cover Date:
September 2008
Print ISSN:
0265 539X
Vol:
25
Issue:
3

International variation in the incidence of oral and pharyngeal cancer

Objective: An accurate epidemiological profile is a crucial component of any cancer strategy. The ongoing development of populationbased cancer registries provides an invaluable information resource in this regard. Examination of international incidence levels indicates substantial geographical variation. This study assesses the precise extent of such variation. Basic Research Design: The age-standardised rates (ASRs) for oral and pharyngeal cancer (OPC) were analysed for 183 registries in the IARC/WHO publication CIFC - Volume VII. Results: The median annual age-standardised incidence rates were mouth (2.3 per 100,000), tongue (2.0), lip (1.2), and salivary gland (0.6); the corresponding female rates were mouth (0.8), tongue (0.7), salivary gland (0.4) and lip (0.2). A substantial level of heterogeneity existed between registries in most instances. In the case of males, the highest ASR and the inter-quartile range of ASRs were as follows – mouth (highest rate of 12.4 per 100,000; IQR 1.4 to 3.6), tongue (max. 8.0; IQR 1.1 to 2.9), lip (max. 13.5; IQR 0.3 to 2.4) and salivary gland (max. 4.2; IQR 0.4 to 0.8). Corresponding statistics for females were also recorded. Comb graphs are used to highlight the significance of specific geographical-based trends and putative aetiological factors explored. Conclusions: This study reveals substantial international variation in the incidence rates of OPC, with up to 20-fold variation between countries in annual incidence rates for individual sites. The novel presentational technique makes this information readily accessible to non-specialists and highlights the need for disaggregation in future OPC studies.

Key Words: Age-standardised rates, CIFC, epidemiology, geographical based trends, international incidence rates, oral and pharyngeal cancer, variation.

Article Price
£15.00
Institution Article Price
£
Page Start
148
Page End
153
Authors
E. M. O’Sullivan

Articles from this issue

  • Title
  • Pg. Start
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  1. Editorial - Research on oral health and the quality of life – a critical overview
  2. 130
  3. 131

  1. Comparison of two methods in deriving a short version of oral health-related quality of life measure.
  2. 132
  3. 136

  1. Oral health and its impact on the life quality of homeless people in Hong Kong
  2. 137
  3. 142

  1. The presenting complaints of low income adults for emergency dental care: An analysis of 35,000 episodes in Victoria, Australia.
  2. 143
  3. 147

  1. International variation in the incidence of oral and pharyngeal cancer
  2. 148
  3. 153

  1. Caries prevalence in 2-year-old children in the city of Zurich
  2. 154
  3. 160

  1. Association between breastfeeding duration and non-nutritive sucking habits
  2. 161
  3. 165

  1. I want braces: factors motivating patients and their parents to seek orthodontic treatment.
  2. 166
  3. 169

  1. Cariogenic and erosive potential of the medication used by HIV-infected children: pH and sugar concentration
  2. 170
  3. 172

  1. Prevalence of breath malodour in 7-11 year old children living in Middle Anatolia, Turkey.
  2. 173
  3. 177

  1. Enamel fluorosis in 12- and 15-year-old school children in Costa Rica. Results of a National Survey, 1999
  2. 178
  3. 184

  1. Restorative treatment threshold reported by Iranian dentists
  2. 185
  3. 190

  1. Short Communication - Fissure sealants on permanent first molars – consequences of a one-year delay
  2. 191
  3. 192