BACKGROUND: Tobacco use remains a global challenge to public health, accounting for almost eight million deaths per year worldwide, with a significant portion attributable to tobacco-related cancers. Examining the epidemiology of tobacco-related cancers and assessing the trends in the incidence and mortality will allow for more effective prevention, treatment, and targeted strategies. METHODS: We assessed the trends in the incidence and mortality of tobacco-related cancers among adults in the United States using data from United States Cancer Statistics (USCS) 2001-2021 and mortality data 1975-2022 from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The incidence and mortality rates of tobacco-related cancers were calculated as cases per 1,000,000 persons and age-adjusted to the 2000 United States standard population. RESULTS: There was a recent overall decreasing trend in both the incidence (2001-2021) and mortality rate (2001-2022). Among adults 20-49 years old, there was an increasing trend from 2001 to 2021 in the incidence among non-Hispanic American Indians/Alaska Natives (APC 2.6, 95% CI 2.1-3.0) and those in the West (APC 0.2, 95% CI 0.0-0.4)
in Hispanics, the incidence rate increased most recently from 2013 to 2021 (APC 1.7, 95% CI 1.0-3.0). The mortality rate first increased from 1975 to 1990 among females 50-64 years old and males 65+ years old and from 1975 to 2000 among females 65+ years old, and then decreased thereafter. CONCLUSIONS: The rising incidence in some younger groups highlights the need for targeted public health interventions to address disparities and improve cancer prevention in these vulnerable populations.