title: National Cancer Database report on cancer of the head and neck: 10-year update.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  We sought to examine the current state of cancer care for head and neck tumors in the United States. We therefore performed a retrospective, longitudinal study of the approximately 822,000 head and neck cancer cases included in the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB) for 1990 through 2004, representing approximately 75% of the estimated incident diagnoses in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  All cases of head and neck cancer diagnosed and reported to the NCDB during this interval were reviewed, and descriptive statistics, grouped by disease and host factors, were analyzed over time and compared with a prior similar analysis done 10 years ago.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although many similarities persist, several major changes in head and neck cancer have occurred, most notably (1) a decrease in the number of the older-aged patients who have mucosally derived squamous cell carcinomas coupled with an increase in the number of younger-aged patients who have thyroid-origin adenocarcinomas and (2) a decrease in the use of radiation therapy alone for treatment in favor of chemotherapy enhanced radiation therapy.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Head and neck cancers include a heterogeneous group of tumors whose precise composition changes over time and whose therapy evolves as well. The NCDB is well suited to capture this information and provide both an analysis of the current state of cancer care for head and neck tumors and a longitudinal view over time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, USA. jcooper@maimonidesmed.org
authors.forename: Jay S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Porter
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mallin
authors.forename: Henry T
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.forename: Randal S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Weber
authors.forename: Kian K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Ang
authors.forename: E Greer
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Gay
authors.forename: Corey J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Langer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D016208:Databases, Factual; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D054547:National Cancer Institute (U.S.); D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness / Q000473:pathology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D012042:Registries; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology