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Incidence of oral cancer in W estern A ustralia (1982–2009): Trends and regional variations
Author(s) -
Derbi Hajer Abdelhafied,
Kruger Estie,
Tennant Marc
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
asia‐pacific journal of clinical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.73
H-Index - 29
eISSN - 1743-7563
pISSN - 1743-7555
DOI - 10.1111/ajco.12205
Subject(s) - cancer , tongue , incidence (geometry) , medicine , pharynx , cancer registry , head and neck cancer , salivary gland cancer , demography , surgery , pathology , physics , sociology , optics
Aim Oral cancer remains a significant issue for many communities of the world. In A ustralia, there are approximately 2000 new diagnoses each year, and the rates are growing. The divide between city and rural, rich and poor, is, in many countries, found to be linked to the incidence of oral cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the trends in the incidence of oropharyngeal cancer (specifically cancer of the parotid and major salivary glands, pharynx, and tongue) in Western A ustralia over a 27‐year period, from 1982 to 2009, and determine the geographic distribution of incidence within the state. Methods The de‐identified data were provided by the W estern A ustralian C ancer R egistry, as oral cancer is a notifiable condition in A ustralia. Results There were a total of 2801 cases reported with pharynx, tongue, major salivary glands and parotid cancers over a 27‐year period: 73.2 percent were male and 26.8 percent were female. The age‐standardized incidence rate was 67.4 per 100 000 persons per annum for pharyngeal cancer, 54.1 for tongue cancer, 22.2 for parotid gland cancer and 5.5 for major salivary gland cancer. The age‐standardized rates for pharyngeal and tongue cancer (but not parotid) were higher in country areas of W estern A ustralia than in the metropolitan areas. The burden of some site‐specific oral cancers is continuing to rise. An increasing trend with older age is also consistent throughout the study period. Conclusion This study finds that the incidence of oral cancers in Western A ustralia is not inconsistent with other parts of A ustralia and fundamentally shows there is a rural–urban difference for oral cancer.