Rates of oropharyngeal cancer continue to rise steeply amongst Australian men.

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to analyse the trends in the incidence of oropharyngeal cancers (OPC) across Australia from 1982 to 2017 with implications for prevention.

METHODS

Data were obtained from the Australian Cancer Database (ACD) compiled at the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Joinpoint analyses are presented.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

There was a striking increase of age-standardised incidence rate (ASIR) of OPC by over 1.5 times; the most significant rise was between 2007 and 2017 with an annual percentage change (APC) of +5.24% (p < 0.001). Slow but gradual growth of ASIR was observed amongst women with a statistically significant APC of +1.02% (p < 0.001). Statistically significant bimodal increasing trends of APC were also observed in total ASIR of OPC. These rising trends are widely attributed to increased oral sex practices. The highest number of incident cases was found in patients aged 55-69 years attributable to continued alcohol and tobacco exposure. The most common subsites affected were base of the tongue (BOT) and 'oropharynx' from 1982 to 2017.

CONCLUSION

Oropharyngeal cancer is rising rapidly across Australia, particularly in men. Whilst the national proportion of cases driven by HPV is not known, it is evident that vaccination is yet to have an impact.