Long-term Trends of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Mortality in China from 2006 to 2020 by Region and Sex: an Age-period-cohort Analysis

Overview

Journal BMC Public Health

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Public Health

Date 2023 Oct 20

PMID 37864181

Authors

Xinru Guo

Jiameng Cui

Xin Yuan

Zibo Gao

Ge Yu

Hao Wu

Changgui Kou

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: China has a high mortality from nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). The NPC mortality trends in China from 2006 to 2020 were described and analyzed to understand its epidemiological characteristics by region and sex and to explore age, period, and cohort effects.

Methods: This study utilized NPC mortality data from the China Health Statistical Yearbook. A joinpoint regression model was used to fit the standardized NPC mortality and age-specific mortality. The age-period-cohort model was applied to investigate age, period, and cohort effects on NPC mortality risk.

Results: The results showed that the NPC mortality rate in China has been declining steadily. From 2006 to 2020, the standardized NPC mortality rate in most age groups showed a significant downward trend. The annual percentage change was smaller in rural areas than in urban areas. The mortality risks of rural males and rural females from 2016 to 2020 were 1.139 times and 1.080 times those from 2011 to 2015, respectively. Both urban males born in 1984-1988 and rural males born in 1979-1983 exhibited an increasing trend in NPC mortality risk.

Conclusions: Our study confirmed the effectiveness of NPC prevention and treatment strategies in China from 2006 to 2020. However, it underscored the urgent need for targeted interventions in rural areas to further reduce NPC mortality rates.

Citing Articles

Exploring the influence of age on the causes of death in advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients undergoing chemoradiotherapy using machine learning methods.

Zhang M, Zhang S, Ao X, Liu L, Peng S Sci Rep. 2025; 15(1):1777.

PMID: 39800797 PMC: 11725570. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-025-86178-6.

Identification of shared immune infiltration characteristic molecules in dermatomyositis and nasopharyngeal carcinoma using bioinformatics: Traits in dermatomyositis and nasopharyngeal cancer.

Kai J, Huang H, Su J, Chen Q Skin Res Technol. 2024; 30(8):e13871.

PMID: 39081134 PMC: 11289422. DOI: 10.1111/srt.13871.

References

Lin J, Wen C, Jiang C, Yuan J, Chen C, Ho S . Smoking and nasopharyngeal cancer: individual data meta-analysis of six prospective studies on 334 935 men. Int J Epidemiol. 2021; 50(3):975-986. PMC: 8271191. DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyab060. View

Chen Y, Chan A, Le Q, Blanchard P, Sun Y, Ma J . Nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Lancet. 2019; 394(10192):64-80. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30956-0. View

Zhang L, Li Y, Xie S, Ling W, Chen S, Liu Q . Incidence trend of nasopharyngeal carcinoma from 1987 to 2011 in Sihui County, Guangdong Province, South China: an age-period-cohort analysis. Chin J Cancer. 2015; 34(8):350-7. PMC: 4593377. DOI: 10.1186/s40880-015-0018-6. View

Li L, Ouyang Y, Wang H, Huang F, Wang Y, Zhang J . Disparities in fresh fruit and vegetable intake by sociodemographic and behavioural factors among adults in China. Public Health Nutr. 2020; 25(3):649-656. PMC: 9991731. DOI: 10.1017/S1368980020003274. View

Tsao S, Tsang C, Lo K . Epstein-Barr virus infection and nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2017; 372(1732). PMC: 5597737. DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0270. View

Jia W, Huang Q, Liao J, Ye W, Shugart Y, Liu Q . Trends in incidence and mortality of nasopharyngeal carcinoma over a 20-25 year period (1978/1983-2002) in Sihui and Cangwu counties in southern China. BMC Cancer. 2006; 6:178. PMC: 1557527. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2407-6-178. View

Mai Z, Ngan R, Kwong D, Ng W, Yuen K, Ip D . Dietary fiber intake from fresh and preserved food and risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: observational evidence from a Chinese population. Nutr J. 2021; 20(1):14. PMC: 7856716. DOI: 10.1186/s12937-021-00667-8. View

Coffin C, Rich S, Dehner L . Familial aggregation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and other malignancies. A clinicopathologic description. Cancer. 1991; 68(6):1323-8. DOI: 10.1002/1097-0142(19910915)68:6<1323::aid-cncr2820680623>3.0.co;2-s. View

Vasudevan H, Yom S . Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and Its Association with Epstein-Barr Virus. Hematol Oncol Clin North Am. 2021; 35(5):963-971. DOI: 10.1016/j.hoc.2021.05.007. View

10.

Liu L . China's dusty lung crisis: Rural-urban health inequity as social and spatial injustice. Soc Sci Med. 2019; 233:218-228. DOI: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2019.05.033. View

11.

Wu S, Liao X, He Z, Tang L, Chen X, Wang Y . Demographic and clinicopathological characteristics of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and survival outcomes according to age at diagnosis: A population-based analysis. Oral Oncol. 2017; 73:83-87. DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2017.08.006. View

12.

Mistry R, McCarthy W, De Vogli R, Crespi C, Wu Q, Patel M . Adolescent smoking risk increases with wider income gaps between rich and poor. Health Place. 2010; 17(1):222-9. PMC: 3053420. DOI: 10.1016/j.healthplace.2010.10.004. View

13.

Xie S, Gong J, Yang N, Tse L, Yan Y, Yu I . Time trends and age-period-cohort analyses on incidence rates of nasopharyngeal carcinoma during 1993-2007 in Wuhan, China. Cancer Epidemiol. 2011; 36(1):8-10. DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2011.07.002. View

14.

Zhao B, Zheng H, Wang S, Smith K, Lu X, Aunan K . Change in household fuels dominates the decrease in PM exposure and premature mortality in China in 2005-2015. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2018; 115(49):12401-12406. PMC: 6298076. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1812955115. View

15.

Yu M, Huang T, Henderson B . Diet and nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a case-control study in Guangzhou, China. Int J Cancer. 1989; 43(6):1077-82. DOI: 10.1002/ijc.2910430621. View

16.

Meng D, Zhang H, Liu G, Peng L, Yang Q, Liu Z . Association of Socioeconomic Disparities With Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Survival in an Endemic Area, China. Cancer Control. 2023; 30:10732748231188261. PMC: 10392156. DOI: 10.1177/10732748231188261. View

17.

Guo Q, Yu D, Zhao L, Fang H, Ju L, Li S . [Status of fresh vegetables and fruit consumption among Chinese aged 60 years old and above in 2015]. Wei Sheng Yan Jiu. 2021; 50(3):401-408. DOI: 10.19813/j.cnki.weishengyanjiu.2021.03.009. View

18.

Polesel J, Serraino D, Negri E, Barzan L, Vaccher E, Montella M . Consumption of fruit, vegetables, and other food groups and the risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Cancer Causes Control. 2013; 24(6):1157-65. DOI: 10.1007/s10552-013-0195-z. View

19.

Feng Y, Dai Z, Yan R, Li F, Zhong X, Ye H . Outcomes of Recurrent Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Patients Treated With Salvage Surgery: A Meta-Analysis. Front Oncol. 2021; 11:720418. PMC: 8531649. DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2021.720418. View

20.

Liu X, Jiang J, Yu C, Wang Y, Sun Y, Tang J . Secular trends in incidence and mortality of bladder cancer in China, 1990-2017: A joinpoint and age-period-cohort analysis. Cancer Epidemiol. 2019; 61:95-103. DOI: 10.1016/j.canep.2019.05.011. View