Mortality rate of lip, oral cavity and pharynx malignant tumors in Serbia within a period 1991–2009

Milena Ilić; Svetlana Radević; Vladimir Stefanović; Tatjana Ćirković; Tamara Zurovac; Borivoje Savić; Vladan Kovačević

doi:10.2298/1349

Milena Ilić Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
Svetlana Radević Department of Social Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Kragujevac, Kragujevac, Serbia
Vladimir Stefanović Dental Clinic, Military Medical Academy, Belgrade, Serbia
Tatjana Ćirković Dental Clinic, Military Medical Academy, Belgrade, Serbia
Tamara Zurovac Dental Clinic, Military Medical Academy, Belgrade, Serbia
Borivoje Savić Centre for Nuclear Medicine, Clinical Centre of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
Vladan Kovačević Dental Clinic, Military Medical Academy, Belgrade, Serbia

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2298/1349

Keywords: mouth neoplasms, pharyngeal neoplasms, serbia, mortality, risk factors,

Abstract

Background/Aim. Lip, oral cavity and pharynx malignant tumors account for 3.7% of all cancer deaths worldwide, with significant geographic variations in frequency and distribution. The aim of this descriptive epidemiologic study was to analyze the mortality rate of lip, oral cavity and pharynx malignant tumors in Serbia proper within a period 1991–2009. Methods. Mortality rates standardized directly using the world population as the standard were used in data analysis. Linear trend and regression analyses were used to analyze rate trends in mortality. Results. The Serbian population demonstrated an increase in the mortality of lip, oral cavity and pharynx malignant tumors (y = 3.32 + 0.03×; p = 0.002; average annual percent change = + 0.8). The male population showed a significant increase in mortality trend (y = 5.90 + 0.03×; p = 0.020; % change = + 0.9), while the female population did not show a significant increase in mortality. The male/female cancer mortality ratio was 5.5:1. Mortality rates for lip, oral cavity and pharynx cancer increased with age in both genders, with rates being the highest in the population aged 85 and older. Increasing trends of lip, oral cavity and pharynx cancer mortality were observed in males aged 50–54; the average annual percent change was + 7.4 % (95% CI, 6.2–9.0). The population of both genders aged 55–59 demonstrated an increase in lip, oral cavity and pharynx cancer mortality, the increase being + 1.8% (95% CI, 1.4–2.2) in men and + 34.3% (95% CI, 28.4–40.2) in women. Conclusion. The increasing trend in lip, oral cavity and pharynx cancer mortality points to the necessity to investigate etiology and improve primary and secondary prevention measures.

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