Forty years of monitoring head and neck cancer in Norway--no good news.
BACKGROUND
Male incidence rates of head and neck cancer are rising in most regions of the world. This paper describes Norwegian time trends in male incidence and relative survival from cancer of major head and neck sites.


METHODS
The presentation comprises the entire Norwegian male population from 1955 to 1994. Incidence rates and relative survival rates were calculated for cancer of oral sites, oro-/hypopharynx and larynx separately.


RESULTS
Age-adjusted incidence rates of oral and pharyngeal cancer increased after 1970 by 11 percent per 5-year period (95% CI: 5-19) and 14 percent per 5-year period (95% CI: 4-24), respectively. Laryngeal cancer incidence increased after 1955 by 14 percent per 5-year period (95% CI: 7-21). There were only small improvements in 5-year relative survival rates from oral and pharyngeal cancer.


CONCLUSIONS
Male incidence rates increased for all the studied sites during the observation period. The prognosis for the patient groups included in this presentation has not improved substantially since the 1950's.
Mork
J
J
Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway. jon.mork@kreftreg.no
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors