The incidence of head and neck cancers among children, adolescents and young adults in North America has increased by 51.1 percent in the last 20 years, according to a study published in JAMA Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.
Researchers conducted an analysis of retrospective data on head and neck cancer from the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries' Cancer in North America public use data set from 1995 to 2014. They obtained eligible data from 12,462 pediatric, adolescent and young adult patients, up to 39 years old.
The age-adjusted incidence rates of head and neck cancer was 0.51 per 100,000 persons. In North America, the incidence of head and neck cancer increased by 51.1 percent from 1995 to 2014.
In the U.S., the incidence increased 4.68 percent per year from 1995 to 2000 and 1.15 percent per year from 2000 to 2014. In Canada, the incidence increased 2.18 percent yearly from 1995 to 2014.