Trends in the incidence of the Epstein-Barr virus-associated malignancies extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Taiwan
2024

Trends in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and Extranodal NK/T-cell Lymphoma Incidence in Taiwan

Sample size: 39412 publication 10 minutes Evidence: high

Author Information

Author(s): Yeh Shyh-An, Chiu Liang-Chun, Lin Hsin-Chieh, Li Hung-Ju, Lin Sheng-Fung, Su Yu-Chieh

Primary Institution: National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung, Taiwan

Hypothesis

The study aimed to evaluate the trends in the incidence of ENKTL and NPC in Taiwan within the last 15–30 years.

Conclusion

The incidence rates of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma in Taiwan have significantly decreased over the past two decades.

Supporting Evidence

  • The annual age-adjusted incidence rates of ENKTL and NPC decreased significantly.
  • The incidence rates of NPC in various age groups showed a downward trend.
  • EBV seroprevalence in Taiwan remained stable from 1984 to 2007.

Takeaway

This study looked at how many people got two types of cancer in Taiwan over the years, and it found that fewer people are getting these cancers now.

Methodology

An epidemiological study was performed using population-based registry data from the Taiwan Cancer Registry.

Limitations

The trend in the incidence of ENKTL was assessed only from 2008 to 2021 due to data availability, and the EBV seroprevalence data were from studies conducted before the research periods.

Participant Demographics

The study included 39,412 patients diagnosed with NPC, with 75.1% being men, and 872 patients diagnosed with ENKTL, with 64.9% being men.

Statistical Information

P-Value

p = 0.014

Confidence Interval

95% CI: −1.47 to −0.86

Statistical Significance

p<0.001

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1371/journal.pone.0315380

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