Abstract
Introduction Head and neck cancer appears to be increasing in incidence, with potential changes in aetiology proposed. This paper aims to provide a narrative overview of the epidemiological literature to describe the disease burden and trends in terms of incidence and mortality both in the UK and globally and to review the evidence on current risk factors.
Methods A search was performed on multiple databases (PubMed and Epistemonikos), applying filters to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses which investigated head and neck cancer incidence, mortality and risk factors. International and UK cancer registries and sources were searched for incidence and mortality data.
Results Multiple definitions of head and neck cancer are employed in epidemiology. Globally, incidence rates have increased in recent decades, largely driven by oropharyngeal cancer. Mortality rates over the last decade have also started to rise, reflecting the disease incidence and static survival rates. Major risk factors include tobacco smoking alone and in combination with alcohol consumption, betel chewing (particularly in Southeast Asian populations) and the human papillomavirus in oropharyngeal cancer.
Conclusions These epidemiological data can inform clinical and preventive service planning for head and neck cancer.
Methods A search was performed on multiple databases (PubMed and Epistemonikos), applying filters to identify systematic reviews and meta-analyses which investigated head and neck cancer incidence, mortality and risk factors. International and UK cancer registries and sources were searched for incidence and mortality data.
Results Multiple definitions of head and neck cancer are employed in epidemiology. Globally, incidence rates have increased in recent decades, largely driven by oropharyngeal cancer. Mortality rates over the last decade have also started to rise, reflecting the disease incidence and static survival rates. Major risk factors include tobacco smoking alone and in combination with alcohol consumption, betel chewing (particularly in Southeast Asian populations) and the human papillomavirus in oropharyngeal cancer.
Conclusions These epidemiological data can inform clinical and preventive service planning for head and neck cancer.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 780–786 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | British Dental Journal |
| Volume | 233 |
| Issue number | 9 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 11 Nov 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work is supported by a European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation grant agreement (Grant Creaney, David I. Conway: grant number 825771), the Wellcome Trust via a GW4-Clinical Academic Training PhD Fellowship (Mark Gormley: grant number 220530/Z/20/Z) and NHS National Services Scotland studentship (Kate Ingarfield, David I. Conway). David I. Conway is a member of the International Head and Neck Epidemiology (INHANCE) consortium from which much of the analytical epidemiological studies are drawn.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022, The Author(s).
Access to Document
- Full-text PDF (final published version)
This is the final published version of the article (version of record). It first appeared online via Springer Nature at https://doi.org/10.1038/s41415-022-5166-x . Please refer to any applicable terms of use of the publisher.