Head and neck cancer in women--a changing profile

A progressive trend toward increased occurrence of head and neck cancer in women is reported. Over the most recent 6 year period, 533 newly diagnosed patients were referred for treatment of head and neck cancer; 169 (32%) were women. Review of their cases showed heavy use of tobacco and alcohol by many of these women patients. The acceptance of the use of these mucosal irritants and changing social mores in the tobacco belt society under study predate recent national trends of similar nature. Thus, the increased incidence of head and neck cancer in women reported here probably presages similar increases in that incidence nationwide.