title: Familial risk in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma diagnosed before the age of 45: a population-based study.
abstract: This population-based study analyses familial risk as a factor in the development of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma before the age of 45. Two different designs were used: (1) estimation of standardised incidence ratios (SIRs) for cancer among first-degree relatives of 127 young head and neck cancer probands; and (2) estimation of odds ratios (ORs) for developing head and neck cancer associated with cancer in a first-degree relative. SIRs of cancer of the respiratory and upper digestive tract (lungs, oesophagus, and smoking-related head and neck sites [RUDT]) for first-degree relatives were 4.3 (95% confidence intervals or 95% CI of 1.6-9.5) for female patients, 1.0 (95% CI = 0.3-2.6) for male patients and 1.9 (95% CI = 0.9-3.5) for both sexes combined. ORs for head and neck cancer before the age of 45, in association with cancer of RUDT in a first-degree relative were 5.0 (95% CI = 1.4-17.3) for women, 1.1 (95% CI = 0.3-3.3) for men, and 2.0 (95% CI = 0.9-4.4) for both sexes combined. Hence, when analysing both sexes combined, our familial risk estimates for head and neck cancer showed non-significant increases. An explanation for the unexpected sex asymmetry in familial risk could be an interaction between inherent cancer susceptibility and a female biological characteristic. Alternatively, it could be artefacts caused by differences in familial smoking habits.
authors.affiliation: Cancer Registry of Norway, Oslo, Norway. jon.mork@kreftreg.no
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mork
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Møller
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Glattre
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D010375:Pedigree; D012307:Risk Factors