Head and neck cancer epidemiology in north Sardinia, Italy

The aim of this study was to analyze and describe the epidemiological characteristics and trends of head and neck cancer in North Sardinia, Italy, in the period 1992-2010. Data were obtained from the tumor registry of the province of Sassari which is part of a wider registry web, coordinated, today, by the Italian Association for Tumor Registries. The overall number of head and neck cancer cases registered was 1650. The male-to-female ratio was 5.1:1 and the mean age 62.1 years for males and 63.1 years for females. The standardized incidence rates were 30.2/100,000 and 5.1/100,000 and the standardized mortality rates 11.6/100,000 and 1.6/100,000 for males and females respectively. An increasing trend in incidence of head and neck cancer in women was evidenced. Conversely, incidence was found to slightly decrease in males. Relative survival at 5 years from diagnosis was 50% for males and 55.5% for females. Furthermore, an increase in mortality rates was observed in both sexes in the period under investigation. Our data showed an increasing trend in the incidence of head and neck cancer in women in North Sardinia in recent decades. Conversely, a slight reduction of incidence rates was observed in males. Furthermore, an increasing trend in mortality rates was observed in both sexes, suggesting the need to enhance surveillance policies and to improve diagnosis and treatment methods.