The diagnosed incident cases of head and neck cancers (HNCs) in urban China are expected to increase at an annual growth rate (AGR) of 4.07% between 2020­ and 2030, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

The diagnosed incident cases of HNCs across the eight major markets (8MM*) combined is expected to increase from 0.28 million cases in 2020 to 0.34 million in 2030, at an annual growth rate (AGR) of 2.11. Of the 8MM, China will be followed by the US (1.45%), and the UK (1.17%).

GlobalData’s latest report, ‘Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Epidemiology Forecast to 2030’, notes that the major drivers for the spike in the diagnosed incident cases of HNCs in urban China are the increasing trend in tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and HPV infection, either individually or in combination, among men and women in the past decades prior to the diagnosis of HNC.

Suneedh Manthri, Associate Project Manager of Epidemiology at GlobalData, comments: “HNCs usually begin in the squamous cells that line the moist mucosal surfaces of the tissues and organs of the head and neck. It is estimated that more than 80% of all oral cavity and pharynx cancers are squamous cell carcinomas. Currently, the causes of HNCs are not fully understood. Recent evidence suggests that incidence of oropharyngeal cancer has been increasing and it is associated with exposure to HPV. Cigarette smoking is a well-established risk factor for HNC, and the impact of cigarette smoking on HNC might vary by the geographic area.”

*8MM: The US, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UK, Japan, and urban China