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Incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Chinese immigrants, compared with Chinese in China and South East Asia: review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 June 2009

W M Yu  and
S S M Hussain
W M Yu
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery Ninewells Hospital, University of Dundee Medical School, Dundee, Scotland, UK
S S M Hussain*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology Head & Neck Surgery Ninewells Hospital, University of Dundee Medical School, Dundee, Scotland, UK
*
Address for correspondence: Mr S S M Hussain, Consultant Otolaryngologist, Honorary Reader in Surgery and Molecular Oncology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY, Scotland, UK. Fax: +44 1382 632 816 E-mail: musheer.hussain@nhs.net
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Abstract

Objectives:

To evaluate the literature and to compare published data on age-standardised incidence rates of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Chinese people living in and outside China.

Design:

Systematic review of incidence rate studies and statistical incidence data concerning nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Chinese populations from 1960 to 2008.

Data sources:

Sixteen papers were identified from the PubMed, Embase and Scopus electronic databases and from a hand search of the reference lists of the retrieved papers. Further searches for raw data on age-specific and age-standardised incidence rates of nasopharyngeal carcinoma were conducted. Textbooks on relevant subjects were referred to for background information. A total of 19 papers met the inclusion criteria.

Results:

Seven studies included raw data on age-specific and age-standardised incidence rates of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Chinese people. Twelve other studies reported on changes in the incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Chinese populations in selected countries or regions. Studies on age-specific and age-standardised rates obtained data from individual registries. Studies on incidence rates obtained data from hospital records, cancer notifications (from all sections of the medical profession), pathology records and death certificates. The results showed a decline in age-standardised incidence rates of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Chinese immigrant populations, compared with Chinese people in China. There was also a trend towards decreasing incidence the further the population had immigrated. Thus, the incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Singaporean Chinese was higher than that in Hawaiian Chinese, and that in Hawaiian Chinese was higher than that in Californian Chinese.

Conclusion:

This review found a decreasing trend in the incidence of nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Chinese migrants living in countries with a low risk of the disease.

Keywords

Nasopharyngeal NeoplasmsAsian Continental Ancestry GroupChinaCarcinogenesisEmigration And Immigration
Type
Review Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 123 , Issue 10 , October 2009 , pp. 1067 - 1074
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 2009

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