Global Incidence, Risk Factors, and Trends of Pharyngeal Cancer by Anatomical Sites: A Systematic Analysis of Cancer Registries
Author(s)
Junjie Huang, PhD1, Chenwen Zhong, PhD2, Martin Chi Sang Wong, MD1.
1The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
1The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 2The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
OBJECTIVES: This study aims to provide a comprehensive picture by evaluating global disease incidences, risk factors, and trends of pharyngeal cancer by anatomical sites.
METHODS: Participants: Data from Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN), Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Plus (CI5 Plus), Global Burden of Disease (GBD) were retrieve for this study. Main Outcomes and Measures: We evaluate cancer trends using Average Annual Percentage Changes from Joinpoint regression analysis. The age-standardized rates were calculated for incidence. The primary outcomes were the global incidence of Pharyngeal cancers. The secondary outcomes were the association between risk factors and the burden of Pharyngeal cancers by sub-types and the incidence trends of individuals by sexes and age groups.
RESULTS: Globally, a total 316,020 (ASR=3.5) overall pharyngeal cancer cases were reported, with nasopharynx being the dominant subtype (133,354 cases, ASR=1.7). South-Eastern Asia (ASR=5.0), Western Europe (ASR=2.8), and South-Central Asia (ASR=2.1) had the highest incidence of nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, and hypopharyngeal cancer, respectively. Risk factors of overall pharyngeal cancer included HDI, smoking, alcohol drinking, unhealthy dietary, hypertension, and lipid disorder. Overall, a significant increasing trend in oropharyngeal cancer while there was a decreasing or stable trend in for hypopharyngeal and nasopharyngeal cancers.
CONCLUSIONS: There were substantial regional differences in the incidence of the subtypes of pharyngeal cancer. It is likely that the disease burden of pharyngeal cancer will continue to increase, despite the implementation of smoking reduction programmes, due to the long latency period between smoking and the onset and the diagnosis of pharyngeal cancer. Future trends of incidence should be monitored and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiological landscape of pharyngeal cancer can be explored in future studies.
METHODS: Participants: Data from Global Cancer Observatory (GLOBOCAN), Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Plus (CI5 Plus), Global Burden of Disease (GBD) were retrieve for this study. Main Outcomes and Measures: We evaluate cancer trends using Average Annual Percentage Changes from Joinpoint regression analysis. The age-standardized rates were calculated for incidence. The primary outcomes were the global incidence of Pharyngeal cancers. The secondary outcomes were the association between risk factors and the burden of Pharyngeal cancers by sub-types and the incidence trends of individuals by sexes and age groups.
RESULTS: Globally, a total 316,020 (ASR=3.5) overall pharyngeal cancer cases were reported, with nasopharynx being the dominant subtype (133,354 cases, ASR=1.7). South-Eastern Asia (ASR=5.0), Western Europe (ASR=2.8), and South-Central Asia (ASR=2.1) had the highest incidence of nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal, and hypopharyngeal cancer, respectively. Risk factors of overall pharyngeal cancer included HDI, smoking, alcohol drinking, unhealthy dietary, hypertension, and lipid disorder. Overall, a significant increasing trend in oropharyngeal cancer while there was a decreasing or stable trend in for hypopharyngeal and nasopharyngeal cancers.
CONCLUSIONS: There were substantial regional differences in the incidence of the subtypes of pharyngeal cancer. It is likely that the disease burden of pharyngeal cancer will continue to increase, despite the implementation of smoking reduction programmes, due to the long latency period between smoking and the onset and the diagnosis of pharyngeal cancer. Future trends of incidence should be monitored and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiological landscape of pharyngeal cancer can be explored in future studies.
Conference/Value in Health Info
2025-09, ISPOR Real-World Evidence Summit 2025, Tokyo, Japan
Value in Health Regional, Volume 49S (September 2025)
Code
RWD7
Topic Subcategory
Data Protection, Integrity, & Quality Assurance
Disease
SDC: Oncology