Background: The influences of socioeconomic status (SES) on the incidence rates of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) are unclear.
Methods: Data from the California Cancer Registry and U.S. Census were used to compare incidence rates and trends of OPSCC and other human papillomavirus-related and -unrelated cancer sites by neighborhood SES, race/ethnicity, and sex.
Results: The incidence of OPSCC rose in both higher and lower SES neighborhoods. Absolute rates were greater in the latter. Only non-Hispanic white males with OPSCC demonstrated a significant increase in the incidence rate of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN). The incidence rate for this group increased from 4.5/100,000 person-years between 1988 and 1992 to 7.1 between 2003 and 2009. Regression analysis demonstrated an annual percentage change of 1% from 1988 to 1997 and 4% thereafter.
Conclusions: Increases in incidence rates are SES independent. Incidence rates are higher in lower-SES groups. The rise in OPSCC incidence is limited to non-Hispanic white males.
Keywords: incidence trends; oropharyngeal carcinoma; population-based analysis; socioeconomic status; squamous cell carcinoma.
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