{
  "abstract": "Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OC-SCC) and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OP-SCC) are major contributors to the global burden of head and neck cancer. This study aimed to evaluate nationwide temporal incidence trends in OC-SCC and OP-SCC in Saudi Arabia between 2000 and 2019, stratified by sex, nationality, region of residence, age group, and stage at diagnosis. A nationwide population-based observational study was conducted using data from the Saudi Cancer Registry (SCR) (2000–2019). Age-standardized and age-specific incidence rates were calculated. Temporal trends with annual percent change (APC) and average annual percent change (AAPC) were estimated using the Joinpoint Regression Program. A total of 4,185 SCC cases were included, comprising 3,727 (89.1%) OC-SCC and 458 (10.9%) OP-SCC cases. Most patients were aged 45–74 years (64.7%); 57.7% were male, and 74.5% were Saudi nationals. Overall incidence remained stable throughout the study period for both OC-SCC (AAPC = − 0.60%) and OP-SCC (AAPC = − 0.57%). Age-specific analyses demonstrated a significant increase in OC-SCC incidence among individuals aged < 45 years (APC = + 2.92%; 95% CI, 1.38 to 4.95), whereas it declined among those aged 45–74 years (AAPC = − 3.15%). However, the absolute incidence remained low, and this finding should be interpreted cautiously given the relatively small annual case counts. OP-SCC incidence declined significantly among males (AAPC = − 3.91%) and non-Saudi residents (AAPC = − 7.92%). The Southern region consistently recorded the highest OC-SCC incidence rates, peaking at 2.92 per 100,000 person-years in 2005. Regional trend analyses were limited by insufficient annual case counts in some regions. The proportion of localized disease increased from 35.6% to 46.9% for OC-SCC and from 18.1% to 35.9% for OP-SCC between 2000–2009 and 2010–2019. Early-stage OC-SCC incidence increased significantly during the study period (APC = + 2.40%). Although national incidence rates of OC-SCC and OP-SCC remained stable in Saudi Arabia between 2000 and 2019, important demographic and geographic disparities were observed. The increasing incidence of OC-SCC among younger adults, persistently elevated incidence rates in the Southern region, and the increase in the proportion and incidence of recorded localized-stage disease, accompanied by a reduction in unknown-stage classification, highlight areas for future prevention, surveillance, and etiologic research.\n\nSupplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at https://doi.org/10.1007/s44445-026-00255-8.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Department of Periodontics and Community Dentistry, College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia",
    "Department of Public Health Statistics, Public Health Intelligence, Public Health Authority, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia",
    "Department of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology, Harvard School of Dental Medicine, Boston, MA USA",
    "Department of Health Policy and Health Services Research, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts USA"
  ],
  "article_type": "research article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 3,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Waad R. Al-Amri"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        2,
        3
      ],
      "name": "Muath A. Aldosari"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Abdullah S. Al-Swuailem"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1ymqydwe02tsn.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.1007/s44445-026-00255-8",
  "fulltext_url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13713936/",
  "id": "1ymqydwe02tsn",
  "issns": [
    "1013-9052",
    "1658-3558"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s44445-026-00255-8",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "heading",
      "Research"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2733|Head and Neck Cancer Studies"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7224012545",
  "pdf_url": null,
  "pmcid": "PMC13713936",
  "pmid": "42944999",
  "published": "2026-10-27",
  "publisher": "Springer",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1ymqydwe02tsn.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-01T12:21:31Z",
      "native_id": "PMC13713936",
      "source": "pmc",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1007/s44445-026-00255-8"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2733|Head and Neck Cancer Studies",
      "subfield": "general"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Temporal trends and disparities in oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma incidence in Saudi Arabia, 2000–2019: a nationwide population-based study",
  "title_text": "Temporal trends and disparities in oral cavity and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma incidence in Saudi Arabia, 2000–2019: a nationwide population-based study",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-01T12:21:31Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/1ymqydwe02tsn",
  "venue": "The Saudi Dental Journal",
  "versions": []
}