Demographic patterns for nasopharyngeal carcinoma in the united states

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Abstract
Demographic and pathologic information on over 1,000 newly diagnosed patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma was obtained from population‐based registries in the United States. Age‐adjusted incidence rates were similar for whites and blacks and both were significantly lower than for Chinese Americans. Age‐related differences in cell type were observed in white NPC patients, lymphoepithelial carcinomas having a younger age distribution than either squamous‐cell or transitional‐cell carcinomas. Mortality rates for nasopharyngeal cancer were substantially lower than incidence rates for nasopharyngeal carcinoma, but both indices revealed a minor peak in rates among teenaged whites and blacks. The five‐year survival rate for nasopharyngeal carcinoma was less than 25% and has not changed in recent years. Prognosis was better for females and for young patients. Despite the difficulties in obtaining uniform pathologic classification in such a large study, the interrelationship between pathologic subtype of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and demographic features emphasizes the need for adherence to a more uniform histologic classification.