Hypopharynx Cancer Incidence in Kazakhstan: 2017-2021

The article studies the geographical features of the incidence of hypopharynx cancer (HPC) in Kazakhstan.

The retrospective study was done for the period 2017-2021. Descriptive and analytical methods of ecoepidemiology were used. Crude (CR), age-specific (ASIR), age-standardized (ASR), equalized incidence rates and approximation were calculated. The dynamics of indicators was investigated using component analysis according to methodological recommendations. The method of drawing up a cartogram based on the determination of the standard deviation (σ) from the mean (x) was applied.

During the study period, 814 new cases of HPC were registered. The incidence rate decreased from 0.898 (2017) to 0.895 in 2021 and the overall decline was 0.003 per 100,000 population, including due to the age structure - ∑ΔA=+0.04, due to the risk of acquiring illness - ∑ΔR=-0.05 and their combined effect - ∑ΔRA=+0.01. The component analysis revealed that the increase in the number of patients with HPC was mainly due to the growth of the population (ΔP=+37.0%), changes in its age structure (ΔA=+106.1%) and changes associated with the risk of acquiring illness (ΔR=-133.4%). The cartograms were allocated according to the following criteria: low - up to 0.730/0000, average - from 0.73 to 1.180/0000, high - above 1.180/0000. The results of the spatial assessment showed the highest levels of HPC incidence in following regions: Atyrau (1.960/0000) and West Kazakhstan (1.580/0000).

Thus, this is the first epidemiological study of HPC, which assessed the role of the influence of various factors, including demographic and risk of acquiring illness, on the dynamics of incidence, taking into account gender differences and geographical variability.