Socioeconomic deprivation and the burden of head and neck cancer-Regional variations of incidence and mortality in Merseyside and Cheshire, North West, England.

Objectives: The aim of this longitudinal study was to examine the distribution of head and neck cancer (HANC) disease burden across the region comparing it to national trends.

Design: We undertook a retrospective study of routine data combining it with indicators of deprivation and lifestyle at small geographical areas within the 9 Local Authorities (LAs) of Merseyside and Cheshire Network (MCCN) for head and neck cancers. Data from the North West of England and England were used as comparator regions.

Setting: This research was undertaken by the Cheshire and Merseyside Public Health Collaborative, UK.

Participants: The Merseyside and Cheshire region serves a population of 2.2 million. Routine data allowed us to identify HANC patients diagnosed with cancers coded ICD C00-C14 and C30-C32 within 3 cohorts 1998-2000, 2008-2010 and 2009-2011 for our analysis.

Main Outcome Measures: Directly age-standardised incidence rates and directly age-standardised mortality rates in the LAs and comparator regions were measured. Lifestyle and deprivation indicators were plotted against them and measured by Pearson's correlation coefficients.

Results: The incidence of head and neck cancer has increased across the region from 1998-2000 to 2008-2010 with a peak incidence for Liverpool males at 35/100 000 population. Certain Middle Super Output Areas contribute disproportionately to the significant effect of incidence and mortality within LAs. Income deprivation had the strongest correlation with incidence (r = .59) and mortality (r = .53) of head and neck cancer.

Conclusion: Our study emphasises notable geographical variations within the region which need to be addressed through public health measures.