Cancer Incidence - Oral Cavity and Pharynx
Summary Indicator Report Data View Options
Incidence of Cancer of the Oral Cavity and Pharynx by County, New Mexico, 2017-2021
Why Is This Important?
Oral and pharyngeal cancers form in tissues of the lips, mouth, tongue, salivary glands, tonsils, and pharynx. Each year, oral and pharyngeal cancers account for nearly 3% of all new cancer cases and 1.8% of all cancer deaths in the U.S, which represents 54,000 cases and 11,230 deaths. The five-year survival rate is 68%. Tobacco and alcohol use are among the biggest risk factors for developing oral cavity and pharyngeal cancers.
Definition
Cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx incidence refers to the number of persons newly diagnosed with cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx during a specified time period. Measures include: 1) the number of newly diagnosed cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx cases; and 2) age-adjusted cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx incidence rates.
Data Sources
- New Mexico Population Estimates: University of New Mexico, Geospatial and Population Studies (GPS) Program.
(http://gps.unm.edu/) - New Mexico Tumor Registry
(https://nmtrweb.unm.edu/) - Cancer Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program
(http://www.seer.cancer.gov)
How the Measure is Calculated
| Numerator: | The number of cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx cases newly diagnosed in New Mexico residents within a specified time period. |
| Denominator: | The estimated population of New Mexico residents within a specified time period. |
How Are We Doing?
New Mexico has averaged 340 new cases of oral and pharyngeal cancers each year between 2016 and 2020. Since 2001, the age-adjusted rate of oral cancer in New Mexico has decreased by 13% in contrast to the national age-adjusted rate increasing by 8% over the same time period.
How Do We Compare With the U.S.?
Nationally, the rate of new cases of oral cavity and pharynx cancer is 11.5 per 100,000 population; in contrast, the rate in New Mexico is 12.6 per 100,000. The highest rate was seen in the Asian/Pacific Islander population, followed by the White population.
Evidence-based Practices
https://health.gov/healthypeople/objectives-and-data/browse-objectives/cancer/evidence-based-resources
Other Objectives
CDC Environmental Public Health Tracking, Nationally Consistent Data and Measures (EPHT NCDM)
More Resources
SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Oral Cavity and Pharynx Cancer. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/oralcav.html
Health Program Information
https://nmtracking.doh.nm.gov/health/cancer/CancerConcernsWorkgroup.html