Familial clustering of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in the Utah population

Abstract

Background

The main purpose of the current study was to define the familial aggregation of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and risk to relatives of patients with oropharyngeal SCC.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study utilizing linked population-based genealogy and state cancer registry databases between 1966 and 2012. Relative risks for oropharyngeal SCC and other malignancies among patients with oropharyngeal SCC and their relatives were estimated.

Results

Significant excess pairwise relatedness was observed for oropharyngeal SCC diagnosed before age 65 years. Significant excess risk for oropharyngeal SCC was observed for first-degree relatives of patients. Relatives of oropharyngeal SCC patients also demonstrated elevated rates of multiple other malignancies, including both lung and cervical cancers.

Conclusion

Relatives of patients with oropharyngeal SCC display elevated risks of oropharyngeal, lung, and cervical cancers among others, suggesting a possible shared genetic etiology involving tobacco-related and human papillomavirus (HPV)-related malignancies.

http://ift.tt/2zeURen