Incidence, Risk Factors, and Temporal Trends of Tongue Cancer: A Population-Based Study

Tongue cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer in the intraoral region across many countries. This study aims to explore the global burden of the disease, its associated risk factors, and trends in incidence over time across different demographic groups.

Data were extracted from the Global Cancer Observatory, Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Plus, Global Burden of Disease, the United Nations, and the World Bank. Linear regression analysis was applied to assess the relationship between tongue cancer incidence and various factors. Temporal trends in tongue cancer incidence across countries and regions were analyzed using the Average Annual Percentage Change (AAPC). The accuracy of these trend estimates was reported with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

A total of 151,338 cases of tongue cancer were identified globally, with an age-standardized rate (ASR) of 1.7 per 100,000 population. The highest ASRs were observed in South-Central Asia (3.4), Northern America (2.3), and Northern Europe (2.1). Males were found to have a higher ASR (2.6) compared to females (0.86). Tongue cancer incidence was significantly linked to a higher prevalence of smoking (β = 0.038, CI: 0.016-0.059, p = 0.001), alcohol consumption (β = 0.049, CI: 0.027-0.072, p < 0.001), and dietary factors (β = 0.013, CI: 0.002-0.024, p = 0.025). An increasing trend was presented globally based on pre-2013 data, except for the Philippines, which showed the only significant drop.

Geographical variation was observed in tongue cancer, with South-Central Asia having the highest disease burden. The higher incidence of tongue cancer in males may be attributed to smoking and alcohol, highlighting the need for intensive lifestyle modifications.