Incidence and survival trends of parotid malignancies over 42 years

Abstract Background There is a paucity of information regarding the incidence and survival of parotid malignancies over time. Methods The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results population‐based cancer registry was queried for parotid malignancies from 1973 to 2015. Results The age‐adjusted incidence of parotid malignancies has increased by 58.1% (7.87‐12.44 per 1 000 000). Analysis of histologic type revealed an increased annual percent change (APC) of acinar cell carcinoma (1.38) and squamous cell carcinoma (1.58), but decreased APC of adenoid cystic carcinoma (−1.63) and adenocarcinoma NOS (−0.86) ( P < .05). The disease‐specific survival of mucoepidermoid carcinoma, adenocarcinoma NOS, and squamous cell carcinoma significantly improved ( P < .05) over time. Conclusion The incidence of parotid cancer is rising steadily since 1973, while the incidence of overall head and neck cancer has decreased. Further research is necessary to understand the etiology, risk factors, and pathophysiology of parotid cancer to curb its rising incidence. Level of evidence: 4.