Trends in lip, oral cavity, and pharyngeal cancer mortality in the United States, 1999-2019

Background Changes in the epidemiology of lip, oral cavity, and pharyngeal (LOCP) cancers have been reported in the United States. This study aimed to examine recent trends in LOCP cancer mortality in the United States from 1999 to 2019. Methods National mortality data were extracted from CDC WONDER, 1999-2019. International Classification of Diseases Codes, 10th Revision-C00-C14, were used to identify decedents of malignant neoplasms of the lip, oral cavity, and pharynx. LOCP cancer mortality trends were assessed by fitting a Joinpoint regression model overall, and by race/ethnicity, sex, age, and US Census Region. Annual Percentage Changes (APC) were derived to estimate variations in mortality trends over time. Results The age-adjusted mortality rate (AAMR) for LOCP cancers was 2.5 per 100 000 (95% CI: 2.5-2.5), equivalent to 180 532 deaths during 1999-2019. Overall mortality trends have stabilized since 2009 (APC = 0.3; 95% CI: -0.1, 0.7), but an examination by subtype revealed rising mortality trends from cancers of the lip and oral cavity (APC = 1.2; 95% CI: 0.7, 1.6) and pharynx (APC = 3.2; 95% CI: 1.7, 4.8), and declining trends in malignancies of other and ill-defined areas of the lip, oral cavity, and pharynx (APC = -2.7; 95% CI: -3.4, -2.0). Trend variations were also noted by sex, age, US Census Region, and race/ethnicity. Conclusions There are differential trends in mortality from LOCP cancers in the United States. Investigating the biological, individual, and contextual factors related to LOCP cancers would guide effective public health intervention efforts.