Incidence and survival of head and neck cancer in the Faroe Islands

Abstract

Background: The Faroese people constitute a geographically isolated population, and research on cancer in this population is sparse. Thus, this study aimed to calculate the age-standardised incidence rate (ASIR) and 5-year survival rates in head and neck cancers (HNC) in the Faroese population from 1985 to 2017. Materials and methods: All patients registered with HNC in the Faroese Cancer Registry (FCR) from 1985 to 2017 were included. The ASIR per 100,000 (World Standard Population) and 5-year survival rates were calculated. We also calculated the distribution of tobacco, alcohol consumption, cancer stages and various timelines.  Results: 202 patients were included in the study (62% men). The ASIR for all HNC was 10.0/100,000 persons-years and was higher among men than women. Women’s survival rate was significantly higher than men’s (p = 0.026). The results imply that oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) had the best survival rate and was diagnosed at a significantly earlier stage. Conclusion: This retrospective nation-wide study showed that ASIRs and 5-year survival rates for Faroese HNC patients in general resembled the ones reported for Danish HNC patients. Timelines for Faroese HNC patients were shorter compared with Greenlandic HNC patients, but longer compared with the Danish fast track programme limits.