Incidence rates of liver and intrahepatic bile duct cancers in young Hispanic populations: An exploratory study of the SEER database, 2017-2021.

Abstract

e22539 Background: Liver & intrahepatic bile duct cancers rank 6th in U.S. cancer-related deaths. Prior studies have shown rising incidence of cancers in younger populations since the start of the century, with noted demographic disparities. We analyzed gender, age, and race/ethnicity-specific temporal trends from 2017-2021 to determine if similar trends are occurring in liver & intrahepatic bile duct cancers. Methods: This exploratory analysis used Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) program data to compare liver & intraheptic bile duct cancer incidence rates from 2017-2021. These rates were further evaluated based on gender, age, and race/ethnicity. SEER*Stat software was utilized to compare incidence rates and average annual percentage change (AAPC). AAPC is a single measure that summarizes yearly percent change over a fixed period of time. Results: We initially analyzed incidence of liver & intrahepatic bile duct cancers amongst all genders, races/ethnicities, and ages and compared this to younger populations aged 15-39. Amongst all age groups, the AAPC was 0.2% (CI - 0.1-0.8, p-value 0.15), compared to 0.7% (CI 0.0-0.8, p-value 0.05) in ages 15-39. We then further analyzed differences within the younger group, including gender, race, and ethnicity. Young Hispanic males aged 15-39 showed a significant AAPC increase of 2.5% (CI 2.0-3.2, p-value < 0.01), while non-hispanic white males experienced a 0.9% decline (CI - 1.9- - 0.2, p-value 0.01). In non-Hispanic black males, the AAPC was 0.1% (CI - 0.1-0.3, p-value 0.18). Among Hispanic females aged 15-39, the AAPC increased significantly to 2.5% (CI 2.0-3.7, p-value < 0.01), whereas decreases in non-Hispanic white and black females were non-significant at - 0.3% (CI - 1.4-0.4, p-value 0.25) and - 0.4% (CI - 2.1-0.6, p-value 0.40) respectively. Conclusions: Between 2017-2021, the incidence rates of liver & intrahepatic bile duct cancers steadily increased amongst certain populations. This study specifically identified young Hispanic men and women aged 15-39 as a demographic group with a rising incidence for the development of these cancers. These findings highlight a prevention opportunity through improved screening methods. Recent trends in SEER Age-Adjusted incidence rates, 2017-2021. Group Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC) Lower 95% C.l. Upper 95% C.I. P-Value Males & Females, All Races/Ethnicities, All Ages 0.2% -0.1 0.8 0.15 Males & Females, All Races/Ethnicities, Ages 15-39 0.7% 0.0 0.8 0.05 Males, Non-Hispanic White, Ages 15-39 -0.9% -1.9 -0.2 0.01 Females, Non-Hispanic White, Ages 15-39 -0.3% -1.4 0.4 0.25 Males, Non-Hispanic Black, Ages 15-39 0.1% -0.1 0.3 0.18 Females, Non-Hispanic Black, Ages 15-39 -0.4% -2.1 0.6 0.40 Males, Hispanic (any race), Ages 15-39 2.5% 2.0 3.2 <0.01 Females, Hispanic (any race), Ages 15-39 2.5% 2.0 3.7 <0.01