Survival from laryngeal cancer in England and Wales up to 2001

Head and neck cancers arise from the epithelium of the upper airway and digestive tracts. The term incorporates cancers of the mouth, larynx, throat, nose, ears, salivary glands, thyroid or neck, which together make up about 6% of all cancers in the United Kingdom and half a million cases worldwide per annum . The UK incidence is 8–12 (depending on region) cases per 100 000 population per annum , or about 6500 new cases. They are more common in men than women, and the dominant aetiological associations are with tobacco and alcohol consumption.