Trends in the incidence and mortality of oral cancer in Nevada (Preprint)

Abstract

Reviews of national and state-specific cancer registries have revealed differences in rates of oral cancer incidence and mortality that have implications for public health research and policy. Many significant associations between head and neck (oral) cancers and major risk factors, such as cigarette usage, may be influenced by public health policy such as smoking restrictions and bans – including the Nevada Clean Indoor Act of 2006 (and subsequent modification in 2011).

Although evaluation of general and regional advances in public policy have been previously evaluated, no recent studies have focused specifically on the changes to the epidemiology of oral cancer incidence and mortality in Nevada.

Cancer incidence and mortality rate data were obtained from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) program. Most recently available rate changes in cancer incidence and mortality for Nevada included the years 2012 – 2016 and are age-adjusted to the year 2000 standard US population. Comparisons of any differences between Nevada and the overall US population were evaluated using Chi square analysis.

This analysis revealed that the overall rates of incidence and mortality from oral cancer in Nevada differs from that observed in the overall US population. For example, although the incidence of oral cancer among Caucasians is increasing in Nevada and the US overall, it is increasing at nearly twice that rate in Nevada, P=0.0002. In addition, although oral cancer incidence among Minorities in the US is declining, it is increasing in Nevada , P=0.0001. Analysis of reported mortality causes revealed that mortality from oral cancer increased in the US overall but declined in Nevada during the same period (2012-2016). More specifically, mortality among both Males and Females in the US is increasing, but is declining in Nevada, P=0.0027.

Analysis of the epidemiologic data from Nevada compared with the overall US revealed significant differences in rates of oral cancer incidence and mortality. More specifically, oral cancer incidence increased in Nevada between 2012-2016 among all groups analyzed (Males, Females, White, Minority), while decreases were observed nationally among Females and Minorities. Although mortality in Nevada decreased over this same time period (in contrast to the national trends), the lag time between diagnosis (incidence) and mortality suggests that these trends will change in the near future.

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