CANCER INCIDENCE OF HEAD AND NECK CANCER IN OSAKA, JAPAN

Abstract

The national cancer incidence in Japan in 2000 was estimated as 310 thousand for males and 222 thousand for females. The cancer incidence of lip, oral cavity and pharynx, larynx, and thyroid was 6,650, 3,250, 1,642 for males, and 2,825, 209, and 6,246 for females, respectively. Based on data from the Osaka Cancer Registry, time-trends in head and neck cancer incidence were analyzed according to their detailed site (annual average of every 5 years for 1965-1999, and 2002). The cancer incidence of lip, oral cavity and pharynx, and larynx increased from 93 to 500 for males, and from 41 to 187 for females. The increase was remarkable for hypopharynx and oropharynx among males. The cancer incidence of larynx increased from 106 to 197 for the period of 1965-99, turning to a decrease for males, while it decreased consistently from 26 to 16 for females. The cancer incidence of nasal cavity and middle ear, and accessory sinuses decreased from 68 to 59 for males, and from 45 to 22 for females. A strong positive correlation was observed between the age-adjusted cancer incidence of oral cavity, oro- and hypo-pharynx, and the incidence of larynx among 8 populations of males and females for 6 Japanese registries, US-White, US-Black, and US-Japanese. A similar correlation was also observed between the cancer incidence of the former sites and that of esophagus. Smoking and drinking habits are important risk factors of head and neck cancer, like esophageal cancer.