Incidence trends of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) in the aging population––A SEER‐based analysis from 2000 to 2016

Background Tobacco and alcohol use are risk factors for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck (SCCHN); however, there is growing recognition of HPV as a risk factor for SCCHN. HPV‐related SCCHN is thought to affect mostly middle‐aged individuals but as the US population ages, it is important to evaluate the change in incidence of HPV‐ and non‐HPV‐related SCCHN in individuals who are ≥65 years old. Methods This was a retrospective study using data from a population‐based cancer registry (SEER) to identify individuals ≥65 years old diagnosed with SCCHN between 2000 and 2016 also stratified by sex, race, and birth cohort. The subgroups of HPV‐associated and non‐HPV associated sites were analyzed independently. The incidence per year was calculated and joinpoint detection was used to identity significant changes in incidence trends and annual percent change (APC). Results For HPV‐associated sites from 2000 to 2016, there was an average annual rate of 10.8 per 100,000 individuals with an APC of 2.92% (p =