Abstract

ADEOLA, HA; AFROGHEH, AH  and  HILLE, JJ. The burden of head and neck cancer in Africa: the status quo and research prospects. S. Afr. dent. j. [online]. 2018, vol.73, n.8, pp.477-488. ISSN 0375-1562.  http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2519-0105/2018/v73no8a1.

BACKGROUND: The increasing incidence of head and neck cancer (HNC) in Africa is mostly due to increasing smoking habits, westernization in lifestyle and diet, HIV/HPV and unfavourable fiscal policies for health Oral cancer potentially constitutes a notable fraction of the global cancer burden, particularly in developing Africa. A heterogeneity in the anatomy-based HNC nomenclature has resulted in underestimation of its incidence and significance worldwide. METHOD: The global cancer statistics database (GLOBOCAN) was used to evaluate the combined data of cancer incidence in two subsets: a.) excluding HNC and b.) including oesophageal cancers (Upper Aerodigestive Tract Cancer: UADTC). Combined age standardized incidence rates (ASIR) of HNC and UADTC were analyzed using both regional and individual country-derived data RESULT: Frequency ranking of HNC in Africa increases dramatically when cancers from contiguous HN regions are evaluated, compared with considering oral cancer data alone UADTC and HNC ranked second and third in Africa, respectively. Similar trends were observed by global development index evaluation. CONCLUSION: With the exclusion of a few urban regions, the diagnostic and treatment opportunities for HN/UADT cancers in sub-Saharan Africa are dismal Effective education and research efforts by local and international (non-) governmental agencies are urgently required to reduce the associated morbidities.

Keywords : Oral cancer burden; Africa; research; HNC; UADTC.

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