Head and neck cancers originate from the
upper aerodigestive tract, including the oral cavity, oropharynx, nasopharynx,
hypopharynx, larynx, salivary glands and other sites located in the head and
neck area. Smoking, alcohol use and human papilloma virus (HPV) infections are
the major risk factors for head and neck cancers. And their treatment depends
on the initial localization of the tumor, on the patient’s comorbidity and on
the potential side effect of the treatment. The incidence of head and neck
cancers has increased markedly over the last decade.
In this paper, the
authors aimed to estimate the incidence of head and neck cancers and their
health care costs from a hospital perspective. And the results would be used as
input into a forthcoming cost-effectiveness analysis of HPV-related cancers and
genital warts with the overall objective of estimating the impact of different
vaccination programmes.
Data on incidence
and health care use related to head and neck cancers were obtained from Danish
health care registers. New cancer patients were identified in the Danish
National Cancer Register. Resource use per year in the hospital sector was
estimated using data from the National Patient Register applying charges as
cost estimates. Health care consumption by cancer patients was compared with
that by an age- and sex-matched cohort without cancer. And all the data were
analyzed by using SAS software version 9.2.
The results showed that nearly 1000 new cases of oral cavity, oropharyngeal,
hypopharyngeal and laryngeal cancer are diagnosed annually. In total the cost
of these cancers to the Danish hospital sector constituted 31.6 million Euros
per year, with the majority of costs (74%) occurring in men. The total costs
associated with HPV16/18-related head and neck cancers were estimated to be 6.1
million Euros per year.
In conclusion, it is expected that the
current HPV vaccination programme will reduce this burden.
Article by Jens
Olsen, et al, from Denmark.
Full access: http://mrw.so/25shgC
Image by David Goehring, from
Flickr-cc.
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