The epidemiology of tongue cancer: a review of global incidence

The tongue (141 ICD-9) is the most common intraoral site for cancer in most countries, however its global epidemiology shows significant geographic va riation. This review paper summarises the global incidence of cancer of the tongue using cancer maps and references to recent studies from various loc ations. Tongue cancer remains a serious health problem in many countries in cluding India (male incidence rates up to 6.5 per 100 000 per annum) and pa rts of Europe (male incidence rates in France up to 8.0 per 100 000 per ann um). It is noted that as with other forms of oral cancer the majority of po putation-based data for tongue cancer comes from the Western world with a p aucity of reliable data from the so-called developing countries. The tongue remains the most common intraoral site for oral cancer worldwide and in a number of countries it is a serious public health problem with significant morbidity and mortality. While the incidence of tongue cancer appears to be stable or falling in some regions of the world, in other areas it is risin g, particularly among younger people.