title: Laryngeal cancer: epidemiological data from Νorthern Greece and review of the literature.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cancer of the larynx accounts for 1% to 2.5% of all human neoplasms and is the most common malignancy of the Head and Neck region. The purpose of this study is to analyze epidemiological data of patients with laryngeal cancer and to point out the geographical variations.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is the first systematic recording of the laryngeal cancer epidemiological data in Northern Greece. During the period 1992-2010 1,638 patients were diagnosed with and treated for malignant head and neck tumors. One thousand one hundred and four cases (67.4%) were malignant laryngeal tumors, 98.4% of which (1,088 cases) were squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Only 16 patients (1.5%) presented with other types of malignancies.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average age of the SCC patients was 62.1 years. Only 35 patients were women (3.2%). More than 60% of the patients were farmers or labor workers, 86.9%, were smokers, 43.2% were consuming alcohol on a daily basis and 36.1% had a positive family history of malignancy. Concerning tumor location, 60.2% were glottic cancers. T staging revealed that 1.2% of the cases were carcinomas in situ, 28% T1 tumors, 19% T2, 32 % T3, and 20% T4. Tumor grading showed that 43% of the cases were G1, 42.1% were G2, and 11.8% were G3.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pathogenesis of laryngeal carcinoma is the result of the combined action of endogenous and environmental factors. The recording and analysis of the epidemiology of the disease is important for its better study and understanding.
authors.affiliation: 1 University Otolaryngology Department, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Markou
authors.affiliation: 1 University Otolaryngology Department, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Christoforidou
authors.affiliation: 1 University Otolaryngology Department, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Karasmanis
authors.affiliation: 1 University Otolaryngology Department, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tsiropoulos
authors.affiliation: 1 University Otolaryngology Department, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Triaridis
authors.affiliation: 1 University Otolaryngology Department, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Constantinidis
authors.affiliation: 1 University Otolaryngology Department, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vital
authors.affiliation: 1 University Otolaryngology Department, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nikolaou
keywords: Laryngeal cancer; alcohol; epidemiology; family history; grading; staging; tobacco