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. 2022 Nov 28;22(1):2192.
doi: 10.1186/s12889-022-14654-z.

Global trend and risk factors of the disease burden for pharynx and larynx cancers between 1990 and 2019: a systematic analysis of the global burden of disease study 2019

Ao Huang  1   2   3 , Xing-Liang Wu  1   2   3 , Jia Song  1   2   3 , Yu-Ting Wang  1   2   3 , Yin Yao  1   2   3 , Zheng Liu #  4   5   6 , Heng Wang #  7   8   9
Affiliations

Global trend and risk factors of the disease burden for pharynx and larynx cancers between 1990 and 2019: a systematic analysis of the global burden of disease study 2019

Ao Huang et al. BMC Public Health. .

Abstract

Background: Pharynx and larynx cancers (PLCs) are the top killer cancers in head and neck and significantly affect the quality of life of patients. A detailed study examining the disease burden and risk factors of PLCs is lacking.

Methods: Data on mortality and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. The estimated annual percentage change (EAPC) of the age-standardized mortality rate was calculated using a generalized linear model with a Gaussian distribution. Mortality and DALYs were stratified according to the sociodemographic index (SDI), age, gender, and risk factors. The association between the SDI and mortality rate was measured using Spearman's correlation.

Results: Between 1990 and 2019, the total number of deaths due to PLCs increased by 60.7% (95% confidence intervals: 39.32 to 66.8), from 192.38 thousand in 1990 to 309.16 thousand in 2019, and the total DALYs due to PLCs increased by 49.41% (95% confidence intervals: 30.15 to 53.27), from 5.91 million in 1990 to 8.83 million in 2019. The age-standardized mortality rate declined for larynx cancer (from 2.19 in 1990 to 1.49 in 2019) and nasopharynx cancer (1.26 to 0.86) but increased slightly for other pharynx cancer (1.25 to 1.37). The death number of PLCs was significantly higher in men aged 50 to 70 years, which accounts for 46.05% and 43.83% of the total deaths in 1990 and 2019, respectively. Low and low-middle countries had the greatest age-standardized mortality rate for larynx and other pharynx cancer, while low-middle and middle countries dominated for nasopharynx cancer. The leading risk factors for PLCs were smoking and alcohol use, which account for 37.92% and 58.84% in total DALYs rate of PLCs, and the influence of risk factors was significant in men.

Conclusion: The total number of deaths and DALYs due to PLCs increased from 1990 to 2019. Countries with relatively low SDI and middle-aged and older men had the greatest burden of PLCs. Building better health care systems in relatively low SDI countries and improving strategies of smoking and alcohol control should be a priority in health policy.

Keywords: Burden of disease; Global burden of disease study; Pharynx and larynx cancers; Public health; Risk factor.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors declare there is no competing interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Age-standardized mortality rates of pharynx and larynx cancers for both sexes globally in 2019 (up). Estimated annual percentage change in age-standardized mortality rate per 100,000 people of pharynx and larynx cancers for both sexes globally from 1990 to 2019 (below)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Age-standardized mortality rates (left) and disability-adjusted life-years (right) per 100,000 people of pharynx and larynx cancers among men, women, and both sexes globally from 1990 to 2019
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Global mortality of pharynx and larynx cancers by age among men and women in 1990 (left) and 2019 (right)
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Age-standardized mortality rates per 100,000 people of larynx, nasopharynx, and other pharynx cancers grouped by sociodemographic index (SDI) quintiles from 1990 to 2019
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Contribution of smoking, alcohol use, and occupational carcinogens to the age-standardized mortality rates per 100,000 people of larynx cancer, nasopharynx cancer and other pharynx cancer in locations grouped by sociodemographic index quintiles in 2019
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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