Oral and oropharyngeal cancer in Oceania

Abstract

Objectives: Lip, oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer (OCC-OPC) represents a significant global health burden. The epidemiology and prediction of future burden of these cancers in Oceania is reported along with a critical description of cancer registries in the region. Methods: Data are extracted from GLOBOCAN 2012 and from published literature, as well as from local cancer registries, where available. Results: In Oceania in 2012, GLOBOCAN estimates the age-standardized incidence rates per 100,000 per annum for OCC-OPC to be 12.6 and 5.9 for males and females, respectively. Age-standardized mortality rates are predicted to have been 4.0 per 100,000 for males and 2.2 per 100,000 for females. Papua New Guinea is recorded as having the highest incidence rate of OCC-OPC in the world. It is predicted that 6500 new cases of OCC-OPC will be diagnosed in Oceania overall by 2030, an almost 45% increase compared to the 2012 incidence. Conclusion: Future research and resource allocation is needed to establish or improve the quality of cancer registries in the island nations of Oceania. Prevention as a primary intervention should be promoted by local authorities to control the increasing burden of lip plus OCC-OPC in this region.

Oral Cavity Cancer Outcomes in Remote, Betel Nut-Endemic Pacific Islands

“…This single-institution review supports prior epidemiological studies that suggest an increased burden of oral cavity carcinoma in the western Pacific islands driven by betel nut use. 2,3 A comparison of 5-year OS with the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) from the US mainland reveals decreased survival for these oral cavity carcinoma patients (49.5% vs 60%). 10 This discrepancy appears to be driven at least in part by large numbers of late presentations with advanced locoregional disease.…”

“…1 Historically, incidences and survival rates have varied considerably based on geography. 2,3 The United States Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI) is a collection of islands in the western Pacific Ocean that are inhabited predominantly by people of Asian Pacific Islander (API) or other Asian heritage. 4 Prior studies have suggested a dramatically increased oral cancer burden in this region relative to the United States (US) mainland driven by betel nut use.…”

“…5 Further investigation is important as collectively, thousands of islands with endemic betel nut use populated by millions of people are encompassed within the regions of Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia. 2,3 The authors perform a single-institution retrospective review at the only regional hospital complex in the CNMI to further evaluate the oral cavity carcinoma burden in the Pacific islands.…”

Unlocking the Potential of Saliva-Based Test to Detect HPV-16-Driven Oropharyngeal Cancer

“…The incidence of HPV-positive OPC, particularly in younger men, is accelerating in high-income countries as well as in Queensland and Australia [20,21]. Recently, the eighth edition staging system for OPC was proposed and has been implemented.…”

Comparative Study of Antitumor Activity between Lipophilic Bismuth Nanoparticles (BisBAL NPs) and Chlorhexidine on Human Squamous Cell Carcinoma

“…It is expected that 10, 030 people die in 2018 due to these cancers only in the USA, but the number could be higher in less developed regions [2]. Different risk factors have been described like alcohol, smoking, human papillomavirus (HPV), dietary deficiencies, and fungal infections [3]. HNSCC are progressive chronic diseases in which healthy epithelium is modified into a carcinogenic tissue through one or more risk factors in each specific individual.…”