Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-76fb5796d-r6qrq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-29T06:47:28.708Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

1 - Introduction: epidemiology, pathology and clinical presentation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2009

By
Vincent Vander Poorten
Edited by
Robert Hermans
Robert Hermans
Affiliation:
University Hospital Leuven, Belgium
Get access

Summary

In general in the head and neck, two major groups of malignant neoplasms can be recognized. A smaller but important group of neoplasms can be described as “glandular neoplasms,” the majority arising in the thyroid, a minority in the salivary glands. These tumors are not considered in this chapter. This chapter deals specifically with the largest group of malignancies, so-called squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck (HNSCC). These account for about 90% of all head and neck cancers and originate in the mucosal membranes of the upper aerodigestive tract. Squamous cell carcinoma also arises from the skin. Skin cancer is generally considered a separate entity, as is skin cancer of the head and neck.

Head and neck neoplasia observed less frequently include localized lymphoma, soft tissue and bone sarcomas, and neuroectodermal tissue tumors (paraganglioma, olfactory neuroblastoma, neuroendocrine carcinoma, malignant melanoma). As this volume deals specifically with HNSCC, the reader is referred to specific oncological literature for information on other neoplasms.

This chapter deals with the epidemiology, pathology and clinical presentation of premalignant and malignant head and neck neoplasms.

Epidemiology: frequency measures and risk factors

Incidence

Head and neck cancer, excluding skin cancer and Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphoma, is the sixth most frequent cancer in the world. Approximately 500 000 new malignancies of the mucous membranes are registered per year (oral and pharyngeal cancer: 363 000 new cases and 200 000 deaths yearly; laryngeal cancer: 136 000 new cases and 73 500 deaths yearly).

Type
Chapter
Information
Squamous Cell Cancer of the Neck , pp. 1 - 18
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2008

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Greenlee, R. T., Hill-Harmon, M. B., Murray, T., Thun, M.. Cancer statistics, 2001. CA Cancer J Clin 51 (2001), 15–36.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Parkin, D. M., Pisani, P., Ferlay, J.. Global cancer statistics. CA Cancer J Clin 49 (1999), 33–64.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
,International Agency for Research on Cancer. Cancer Base 4. EUCAN: Cancer Incidence, Mortality and Prevalence in the European Union 1997, version 4.0 (Lyon: IARC Press, 1999).Google Scholar
,Vlaams Kankerregistratie Netwerk. Kankerincidentie in Vlaanderen 1997–1999 (Brussels: Vlaamse Liga tegen Kanker VLK, 2002).Google Scholar
Boffetta, P., Trichopoulos, D.. Cancer of the lung, larynx and pleura. In Textbook of Cancer Epidemiology (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002), pp. 268–72.Google Scholar
,International Agency for Research on Cancer. Cancer Incidence in Five Continents, vol. VII (Scientific Publication, No. 143, ed. Parkin, D. M., Whelan, S. L., Ferley, J., et al.) Lyon: IARC Press, 1997), pp. i–xxxiv,1–1240.Google Scholar
Day, G. L., Blot, W. J., Austin, D. F., et al. Racial differences in risk of oral and pharyngeal cancer: alcohol, tobacco, and other determinants. J Natl Cancer Inst 85 (1993), 465–473.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rienzo, D. P., Greenberg, S. D., Fraire, A. E.. Carcinoma of the larynx. Changing incidence in women. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 117 (1991), 681–684.Google Scholar
Blot, W. J., McLaughlin, J. K., Winn, D. M., et al. Smoking and drinking in relation to oral and pharyngeal cancer. Cancer Res 48 (1988), 3282–3287.Google ScholarPubMed
Morse, D. E., Katz, R. V., Pendrys, D. G., et al. Smoking and drinking in relation to oral epithelial dysplasia. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 5 (1996), 769–777.Google ScholarPubMed
Brugere, J., Guenel, P., Leclerc, A., Rodriguez, J.. Differential effects of tobacco and alcohol in cancer of the larynx, pharynx, and mouth. Cancer 57 (1986), 391–395.3.0.CO;2-Q>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stefani, E., Ronco, A., Mendilaharsu, M., Deneo-Pellegrini, H.. Diet and risk of cancer of the upper aerodigestive tract: II. Nutrients. Oral Oncol 35 (1999), 22–26.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Vecchia, C., Tavani, A., Franceschi, S., et al. Epidemiology and prevention of oral cancer. Oral Oncol 33 (1997), 302–312.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Franceschi, S., Munoz, N., Bosch, X. F., Snijders, P. J., Walboomers, J. M.. Human papillomavirus and cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract: a review of epidemiological and experimental evidence. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 5 (1996), 567–575.Google ScholarPubMed
Lefebvre, J., Lartigau, E., Kara, A., Sarini, J.. Oral cavity, pharynx and larynx cancer. Environment-related prognostic factors. In UICC Prognostic Factors in Cancer 2nd edn, ed. Gospodarowicz, M. K., Henson, D. E., Hutter, R. V. P., et al., (New York: Wiley-Liss, 2001), pp. 151–165.Google Scholar
D'Souza, G., Kreimer, A. R., Viscidi, R., et al. Case–control study of human papillomavirus and oropharyngeal cancer. N Engl J Med 356 (2007), 1944–1956.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jeannel, D., Bouvier, G., Hubert, A.. Nasopharyngeal cancer. In Infections and Human Cancer, ed. Newton, R., Beral, V., Weiss, R. A. (New York: Cold Spring Harbor Press, 1999), pp. 125–156.Google Scholar
Pedersen, E., Hogetveit, A. C., Andersen, A.. Cancer of respiratory organs among workers at nickel refinery in Norway. Int J Cancer 12 (1973), 32–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
,World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Oral Precancerous Lesions. Definitions of leukoplakia and related lesions: an aid to studies on oral precancer. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 46 (1978), 518–539.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Batsakis, J. G.. Clinical pathology of oral cancer. In Oral Cancer, ed. Shah, J. P., Johnson, N. W., Batsakis, J. G.. (London: Martin Dunitz, Taylor and Francis Group, 2003), pp. 77–129.Google Scholar
Silverman, S. J., Gorsky, M., Kaugars, G. E.. Leukoplakia, dysplasia, and malignant transformation. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol 82 (1996), 117.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Medina, J. E., Dichtel, W., Luna, M. A.. Verrucous-squamous carcinomas of the oral cavity. A clinicopathologic study of 104 cases. Arch Otolaryngol 110 (1984), 437–440.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shah, J. P.. Patterns of cervical lymph node metastasis from squamous carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract. Am J Surg 160 (1990), 405–409.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sobin, L. H., Wittekind, C. (eds.) UICC TNM Classification of Malignant Tumors, 6th edn (New York: Wiley-Liss, 2002), pp. 30–31.Google Scholar
Lydiatt, W. M., Lydiatt, D. D.. The larynx: early stage disease. In Cancer of the Head and Neck, ed. Shah, J. P. (London: BC Decker, 2001), pp. 169–184.Google Scholar
Shah, J. P.. Larynx and trachea. In Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology, ed. Shah, J. P., Patel, S. G., 3rd edn (New York: Mosby, 2003), pp. 269–352.Google Scholar
Lindberg, R.. Distribution of cervical lymph node metastases from squamous cell carcinoma of the upper respiratory and digestive tracts. Cancer 29 (1972), 1446–1449.3.0.CO;2-C>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×