Oral and Head and Neck Cancers in Israel in the Paediatric Population, 1970–2017: A Retrospective Epidemiological Study

Background: Oral malignancies in the paediatric population are rare, but if left untreated, the patient’s prognosis may be altered. The current literature is varied in its findings regarding common sites and types of tumours found in the paediatric population. Our goal was to describe the distribution of paediatric head and neck cancers, test associations, quantify temporal trends and perform survival analyses. We then compared our results with the current literature. Methods: Approval for the study was given by the Hadassah Medical Organization Helsinki Committee (HMO0792-20). We obtained data from the Israel National Cancer Registry, for the years 1970–2017, regarding head and neck malignancies, including oral malignancies, diagnosed in Israel in individuals under the age of 19. We performed a comprehensive statistical analysis, including annual incidence analysis, Kaplan–Meier survival curves to estimate 5-year survival, and a multivariable Cox proportional hazards model to evaluate the association between demographic and tumor-related variables and overall survival. Results: Our study consisted of 393 cases. The most common cancer location was the nasopharynx, and the most common cancer histology was of epithelial origin. Regarding gender, there were significantly more males diagnosed with cancer. Over 40% of the diagnosed cases were in the 15–18 age group. There was no evidence of a notable change in the average incidence rate over time. The lowest survival rates were observed in cancers originating in the oropharynx and in hematologic malignancies when stratified by tumor location and histology, respectively. Conclusions: The importance of this research is significant, as it adds to the current pool of information and touches on aspects that have not been commonly analysed.