Are laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma incidence and patient mortality a function of ABO blood grouping? A retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE

Few studies have examined the association between ABO blood grouping and head and neck cancer. This retrospective review examined the association between blood group and laryngeal cancer incidence and patient mortality.

METHODS

Of 271 patients treated for squamous cell laryngeal carcinoma (1997-2002), 143 patients with supraglottic, glottic and subglottic tumours were included; 128 patients were excluded. The blood group characteristics of patients and healthy blood donors were compared.

RESULTS

There was no significant correlation between blood type and laryngeal carcinoma incidence or mortality. Type A blood was commoner in African Americans with laryngeal cancer than Caucasian patients, but not significantly so. As expected, five-year survival rates were lower in patients with more advanced stage cancer (p < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Although our findings show no association between blood group and five-year survival, these results are inconclusive, and warrant further study of the association between blood type and laryngeal (and other) head and neck cancers.