Abstract
Background and Objectives: Worldwide, an estimated 644,000 new cases of head and neck cancers are diagnosed each year. To the best of our knowledge, no epidemiologic study has been hitherto focused on the head and neck cancers in our centers. Therefore, this study aimed at evaluating the frequency of different types of these cancers during the past decade.
Materials and Methods: In an analytic-descriptive and cross-sectional study, medical files of 610 patients, 470 males and 140 females with a mean age of 58.36±15.74 years, with definite diagnosis of head and neck cancer were reviewed in Tabriz Imam Khomeini and Imam Reza Hospitals during 1997 to 2007. The inclusion criteria were the diagnosis of head and neck cancers according to the international accepted definition and presence of a rather complete data about the patient. Possible risk factors were also documented in each patient.
Results: In total, 610 patients with diagnosis of head and neck cancer, 470 males and 140 females with a mean age of 58.36±15.74 years were enrolled. Different cancers were located in larynx (45.2%), oral cavity (12.6%), lip (11.5%), nasopharynx (11%), hypopharynx (7.2%), maxillary sinuses (2.3%), tonsils (2.1%), salivary glands (7%), nasal cavity (0.8%) and oropharynx (0.2%). Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was the most common pathologic subtype (75.2%). Majority of the SCC cases (80.6%) were well-differentiated tumors. History of smoking was significantly higher in patients with cancer of larynx, oral cavity and nasopharynx and history of alcohol intake was significantly higher among the patients with oral cavity and lip cancers.
Conclusion: According to the current data, diverse reports are available regarding the frequency of different types of head and neck cancers. Further studies in similar centers are recommended for comparison.