[Epidemiologic analysis of patients with laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancer treated in the Department of Otolaryngology in Białystok from 1986-1999].

: Epidemiological analysis of patients with the larynx cancer, who were treated in the Department of Otolaryngology in Bialystok from 1996 to 1999 was performed. The following aspects were assessed: a) number of patients, b) gender, c) age, d) place of living, e) primary site of the tumour. The results in years 1996-1999 were compared with the earlier published results in years 1986-1994. Altogether 1431 patients (1340-93.6% males and 91-6.4% females) in that period and there were similar numbers of hospitalizations every year. Among patients there were 28-33% farmers, 41-46% labourers, 5-9% white collar workers, the others were old age pensioners. 55-59% patients came from the rural areas and 41-45% patients from urban areas. The most common site of the primary tumour was the supraglottic region (831-58.1%), then glottis (421-29.4%) and rarely in the subglottic region (5-0.3%). Hypopharynx was the tumor primary site in 174 (12.2%) patients. The analysis showed that the numbers of patients with cancer of the larynx or hypopharynx are similar in each year. A constant increase in number of female patients; coming from the rural area, farmers or labourers was found. Increasing incidence rate of supraglottic tumours and little decrease in the number of glottic tumours were also found.