Mortality trends of Oral Cancer in the United States: a retrospective analysis.

Authors

Xiao Li, Qian Zhou, Huanhuan Li

Published in

Frontiers in oncology. Volume 16. Pages 1850969. Epub Jun 30, 2026.

Abstract

Oral cancer constitutes a substantial global public health challenge with considerable mortality and socioeconomic burden. This study aimed to examine temporal trends in oral cancer mortality from 1999 to 2024.
Population-level mortality data were derived from the CDC WONDER online database (https://wonder.cdc.gov/mcd-icd10.html), with raw data formally extracted on January 12, 2026. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) were calculated for each stratification. Joinpoint regression was used to estimate annual percentage change (APC) and average annual percentage change (AAPC) to identify statistically significant trends.
From 1999 to 2024, total oral cancer deaths in the United States rose from 7,451 to 12,368, corresponding to a 65.99% increase, whereas the overall AAMR remained stable (P > 0.05). Females showed a significant decrease in AAMR (P < 0.05), while males exhibited no significant change. By census region, the Midwest showed a significant increasing trend (P < 0.05), and the West displayed a significant decreasing trend (P < 0.05). Non-Hispanic Black individuals experienced the sharpest reduction (P < 0.05), whereas non-Hispanic White individuals showed a significant increase (P < 0.05). Metropolitan and nonmetropolitan mortality trend analyses were confined to 1999-2020; within this restricted timeframe, metropolitan areas had a significant declining AAMR (P < 0.05), while nonmetropolitan areas increased significantly (P < 0.05). Mortality rates decreased significantly among adults aged 35-54 years but increased markedly among those aged 65 years and older, especially individuals aged 85 years and older.
Although total oral cancer deaths increased substantially between 1999 and 2024, overall age-adjusted mortality remained unchanged. Pronounced and persistent sociodemographic disparities exist across sex, region, race/ethnicity, urban-rural status, and age. Observed divergent mortality patterns represent descriptive population-level disparities, and causal links to healthcare access, behavioural risks or clinical treatment cannot be definitively inferred from current ecological mortality data alone.

PMID:
42453873
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 15 Jul 2026.

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