Epidemiology of oral cancer in South and South‐East Asia: Incidence and mortality

Abstract Introduction This study provides an epidemiological description of cancer in the lip, oral cavity, and oropharynx in the South and South‐East Asia region. Methods The number of new cases and deaths was extracted from the GLOBOCAN 2020 and the CI5 series. We present age‐standardized incidence and mortality rates per 100,000 inhabitants. To assess temporal trends, we estimated the annual percent change. Results The incidence rates (ASR) for lip and oral cavity cancer in South and South‐East Asia were highest in Taiwan (30.2), Sri Lanka (16.5), India (14.8), and Pakistan (13.2) among males. For oropharyngeal cancer, the highest rates were found in Taiwan (4.7), Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and India (4.3, 2.9, and 2.6, respectively). Incidence rates were consistently higher in males compared to females. Overall, trends in lip and oral cavity cancer incidence were either stable or decreasing in most of the populations evaluated. In India, an increase in rates among males contrasted with a decline among females over the study period. Conclusion Incidence and mortality rates of oral cavity cancer in South and South‐East Asia are among the highest globally. Our results suggest an optimistic trend of reduction in oral cavity rates in the region, despite an increase in rates among Indian males.