ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: This study represents the most recent epidemiologic trends of head and neck cancer (HNC) in the United States. It provides an important discussion on oropharyngeal cancer and cancers related to the human papillomavirus. The objective was to identify trends in HNC (2002 to 2012) within the United States. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study is a retrospective analysis of the US National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) submission. Using the November 2014 submission of the SEER database and SEER-18 data files, data from 2002 to 2012 were analyzed to determine the most recent epidemiologic trends. HNCs of all subtypes were analyzed together. Laryngeal cancers were further analyzed separately. Oropharyngeal cancers of the base of tongue and tonsil were analyzed independently to attempt to trend HPV-related cancers. RESULTS: From 2002 to 2012, there were 149,301 cases of HNC recorded in the SEER database. The HNC rate decreased by 0.22% per year (P = .0549) and the rate of laryngeal cancer decreased by 1.9% per year (P < .0001). The rate of oropharyngeal (HPV-related) cancer increased by 2.5% per year (P < .0001). HNC rates increased significantly in Kentucky and Connecticut and decreased in California (P < .05). HPV-related cancers increased significantly in all states except Georgia, Hawaii, and Michigan (P < .05). Laryngeal cancer rates decreased in California, Georgia, New Jersey, and New Mexico (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The overall incidence of HNC is decreasing in the United States. There is an increasing incidence of HPV-related cancers of the oropharynx. Meaningful differences in cancer incidence and rate of change exist between men and women. Furthermore, younger groups have a greater decrease of overall HNC, with an overall increase in HPV-related cancer in patients older than 50 years.
Subject(s)
Head and Neck Neoplasms/epidemiology , Adolescent , Adult , Age Factors , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Child , Child, Preschool , Female , Head and Neck Neoplasms/virology , Humans , Incidence , Infant , Infant, Newborn , Male , Middle Aged , Papillomavirus Infections/complications , Papillomavirus Infections/epidemiology , Retrospective Studies , SEER Program , Sex Factors , United States/epidemiology , Young AdultABSTRACT
Blastomyces dermatitidis is a thermally dimorphic fungus endemic to the North American soil near the Mississippi, Ohio, and St. Lawrence river valleys, as well as the Great Lakes Basin. It is responsible for blastomycosis, a systemic pyogranulomatous disease. Blastomycosis of the head and neck is decidedly uncommon and often mistaken for cancer. There are only 3 previous case reports of blastomycosis presenting as an intranasal lesion. We report the unusual case of a 24-year-old man with blastomycosis presenting with a 4-week history of a progressively enlarging intranasal mass who had complete resolution of symptoms after treatment with itraconazole and surgical excision of the lesion.