The Changing Demographics of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma in the United States

Abstract

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCCA) has declined in the United States since the late 1970s. During this time, substantial immigration from other countries has occurred, and the average lifespan has increased. We tested the hypothesis that these trends have altered the HNSCCA patient population. Retrospective analysis was made of population-based data from the SEER database, a national registry capturing roughly 10% of all U.S. cancer diagnoses. We examined all unique diagnoses of HNSCCA in the database from 1976 to 1999 and determined the breakdown of cases by age, sex, and race. The absolute number of new HNSCCA diagnoses per year declined overall by 5% during the time period of the study, whereas new diagnoses in patients older than 74 years of age increased by more than 20%. The rate of HNSCCA per 100,000 person-years in elderly women did not change, and the rate in elderly men decreased, indicating that the observed increase in cases is explained by a growing population of elderly persons at risk. An increase in the absolute number of cases, but not the incidence rate, was also seen among persons younger than 50 years of age. Although both the absolute number of new cases and the incidence rates of HNSCCA in white male patients declined substantially, the percentage of HNSCCA patients classified as minorities increased from 14.5% to more than 20% of all cases. During the time period of the study, the overall number of HNSCCA cases in nonwhite and Hispanic patients increased by 36%. Increasing numbers of elderly and minority patients with HNSCCA are likely to alter patterns of disease and utilization of health care resources.