RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To analyze the incidence and mortality of oral and pharyngeal cancers from 32 cancer registration centers, 2003 to 2007. METHODS: Data from 32 eligible cancer registries were included in this study. Both crude and age-standardized incidence and mortality of oral and pharyngeal cancers from 2003 to 2007 were calculated and stratified by area and gender. Age-stratified incidence and mortality, as well as the proportions of new and death cases of oral and pharyngeal cancer were also calculated at each site. RESULTS: Mouth, tongue and salivary gland were the most predilection sites of oral and pharyngeal cancers. The crude incidence for both oral and pharyngeal cancers was 3.15/10(5) from 2003 to 2007. The age-standardized incidence rates using the Chinese population (1982) and the World Segi's population were 1.75/10(5) and 2.26/10(5). The crude mortality of oral and pharyngeal cancer was 1.37/10(5) from 2003 to 2007; with age-standardized mortality rates, using the Chinese population (1982) and the World Segi's population were 0.69/10(5) and 0.94/10(5). Both incidence and mortality were higher in males than in females, higher in urban than in rural areas, and ascended with age. Age-standardized incidence and mortality in Zhongshan city ranked first among all the cancer registration areas. Age-standardized incidences by gender and area increased slightly from 2003 to 2007, while age-standardized mortalities were stable. CONCLUSION: Although the incidence and mortality of oral and pharyngeal cancer were low in China from 2003 to 2007, attention should also be paid since the exposure of relative risk factors did not seem to have reduced and the incidence increased slightly.