Background:
Head and neck cancers (ICD10 C00-C14, C30-C32) accounted for 3.3% of all invasive cancers (excluding non-melanoma skin cancers) in Ireland in 2020-2022. They were the 5th most common cancer in men and 15th most common cancer in women.
Methods:
The National Cancer Registry collects data on all new primary cancers diagnosed in Ireland. Age-standardised incidence rates (ASR) were calculated using the 2013 European standard population. Age-standardised 5-year net survival was calculated using Pohar-Perme method.
Results:
The annual average ASR of head and neck cancers 2020-2022 was 29.1/100,000 in men and 9.1/100,000 in women.
The ASRs for both men and women are increasing significantly (annual percentage change of 1.1% per year 2001-2022 and 1.3% per year 1994-2022 respectively).
5-year net survival has improved from 51% in 1994-1998 to 56% in 2014-2018 for men, and from 49% in 1994-1998 to 58% in 2014-2018 for women. Survival varies by age group with younger ages tending to have better survival and larger increases in survival over time.
Age-standardised mortality rates in both sexes show a significant decreasing trend over time.
Conclusion:
Head and neck cancers are a diverse group of cancers, showing variation in incidence, survival and mortality by site, sex, and age group.