Oropharyngeal Carcinomas Strongly Associated with Human Papillomavirus: Incidence Trends in the Elderly US Population Using SEER vs US Cancer Statistics Databases.

BACKGROUND

For squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the base of tongue and palatine tonsil, the oropharyngeal sites most strongly associated with human papillomavirus (HPV), increasing age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) (2002-2012) have been reported for elderly US men but not women. These findings were based on data from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries, covering 28% of the US population.

METHODS

Trends in ASIRs (2001- 2014) at ages ≥65 years for base of tongue-palatine tonsil SCC were analyzed using a SEER research database, along with a US Cancer Statistics (USCS) research database with registries covering 48 states (98% of the US population). Annual percent change in ASIR was estimated using joinpoint regression.

RESULTS

Using either SEER or USCS, ASIRs for ages ≥65 years increased after the late 2000s for women, whereas men showed a larger and more continuous increase during 2001-2014. Increases were evident for the age subgroups 65-74 and 75-84 years, but the trend for women aged 75-84 years was clearer using USCS vs SEER. For 2003-2014, the 38 states in USCS that were certified by the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries showed increases for women and men that were similar to those using all 48 USCS states or SEER.

CONCLUSIONS

Continued surveillance is needed, along with studies on HPV markers in tumor tissues for large samples of elderly oropharyngeal SCC patients. Findings support the need for expanding resources for diagnosis, treatment and clinical trials for the growing numbers of elderly oropharyngeal SCC patients.