Cancers of the buccal cavity and pharynx in Circumpolar Inuit

Abstract

In an international collaboration, cancers of the buccal cavity and pharynx were combined from cancer registries in the Circumpolar region, including Alaska, Canada and Greenland. Low risk of cancers of the lip (SIR 0.2) was observed among Inuit. Increased risk of cancer of the tongue and oral cancer (SIR 2.5) were observed among Greenlandic Inuit men. Salivary gland cancer and nasopharyngeal cancer occur among Inuit with rates among the highest in the world. Environmental factors (EBV, diet) and a genetically susceptible population are believed to play a role.