Familial Aggregation of Head and Neck Cancer in Taiwan

Abstract

Objectives: Head and neck cancer (HNC) incidence has been increasing worldwide. We investigated the familial aggregation of developing HNC if a first-degree relative (FDR) is affected in a large database. Methods: This retrospective study utilized Taiwan National Health Insurance Database to assemble a cohort of all registered beneficiaries from 1997 to 2013 and identified diagnosed HNC patients with affected FDRs. Results: Of the 55,916 individuals diagnosed with HNC, 566 (1.01%) had affected FDRs. There were 525 (0.56%) males and 41 (0.05%) females. Age of onset of HNC was found to be earlier for those with an affected FDR at the fourth decade of life compared to the general population. The adjusted relative risks (RRs) of an individual with an affected FDR to develop HNC is 2.04 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.85-2.26): 2.07 (95% CI, 1.88-2.29) if the affected relative was male, and 1.74 (95% CI, 1.31-2.30) if the affected relative was female. The greatest risk to develop HNC is if the affected individual is a twin with adjusted RR 33.04 (95% CI, 12.89-84.69). This is followed by an affected sibling at RR (95% CI) 3.46 (1.68-7.13), offspring at RR 2.28 (95% CI, 1.94-2.69), and parent at RR 1.66 (95% CI, 1.48-1.87). Conclusion: Familial tendency of HNC proves the probable contribution of genetic factors to develop cancer. In areca quid endemic region, there is a high likelihood that both environmental and genetic factors work in synergy to develop HNC.

Single‐nucleotide polymorphism at alcohol dehydrogenase 1B: A susceptible gene marker in oro‐/hypopharyngeal cancers from genome‐wide association study

“…In addition to the environmental exposures, individuals' susceptibility was investigated to delineate the complex host–environment interactions. In our previous study, familial aggregation was observed for HNSCCs including OPSCCs in a population‐based analyses, 5 suggesting the role of genetics in the process of tumor development. In oropharyngeal cancers, genome‐wide association analyses identify several loci, including rs1229984 in ADH1B , rs3828805 in HLA‐DQB1, rs4318431 nearby gene GALNT14 , rs13211972 in MUC21 , and rs34518860 in HLA‐DQA1, are correlated with patients' susceptibility and prognosis 6,7 .…”