Trend of cervical cancer mortality in Belgium (1954-1994): tentative solution for the certification problem of unspecified uterine cancer

Uterine cancer deaths certified as part unspecified: an unsolved issue

OBJECTIVE

A large percentage of uterine cancer deaths worldwide are not attributed to the cervix or corpus, but classified as uterus part 'unspecified'. We provided the trend for the proportion of uterine cancer deaths certified as 'unspecified' in selected countries.

METHODS

We derived the proportions of 'unspecified' uterine cancers for 20 selected high- and middle-income countries with reliable death certification over the period 1994-2021, using official mortality data from the WHO database coded according to the 10th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases.

RESULTS

For the earliest available year, the proportion of deaths classified as 'unspecified' uterine cancers ranged from 5.8% in Mexico to 65.6% in Italy. In some countries only, this proportion decreased over time. For 10 countries the proportion of 'unspecified' uterus in the most recent available year was around 20%. The proportion of deaths at 20-44 years registered as uterus 'unspecified' was lower for all countries during the study period.

CONCLUSION

A substantial number of uterine cancer deaths worldwide coded as 'unspecified' was observed, also in high-income countries where death certification for other common neoplasms is accurate. Valid attribution of uterine cancer deaths to the cervix or corpus is feasible and should be adopted.

Cervical cancer mortality among young women in Latin America and the Caribbean: trend analysis from 1997 to 2030

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer continues to show a high burden among young women worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Limited data is available describing cervical cancer mortality among young women in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The purpose of this study was to examine the mortality trends of cervical cancer among young women in LAC and predict mortality rates to 2030.

METHODS

Deaths from cervical cancer were obtained from the World Health Organization mortality database. Age-standardized mortality rates per 100,000 women-years were estimated in women aged 20-44 years using the world standard population for 16 countries (and territories) in LAC from 1997 to 2017. We estimated the average mortality rates for the last 4 years (2014-2017). Joinpoint regression models were used to identify significant changes in mortality trends. Nordpred method was used for the prediction of the mortality rates to 2030.

RESULTS

Between 2014 and 2017, Paraguay and Venezuela had the highest mortality rates of cervical cancer, whereas Puerto Rico had the lowest rates. Overall, most of the LAC countries showed downward trends of cervical cancer mortality over the entire period. Significant decreases were observed in Chile (Average annual percent change [AAPC]: - 2.4%), Colombia (AAPC: - 2.0%), Cuba (AAPC: - 3.6%), El Salvador (AAPC: - 3.1%), Mexico (AAPC: - 3.9%), Nicaragua (AAPC: - 1.7%), Panama (AAPC: - 1.7%), and Peru (AAPC: - 2.2%). In contrast, Brazil (AAPC: + 0.8%) and Paraguay (AAPC: + 3.7%) showed significant upward trends. By 2030, mortality rates are not predicted to further decrease in some LAC countries, including Argentina, Paraguay, and Venezuela.

CONCLUSIONS

Mortality trends of cervical cancer among young women have large variability in LAC countries. Cervical cancer screening programs have a high priority for the region. Primary and secondary prevention in the community are necessary to accelerate a reduction of cervical cancer mortality by 2030.

Trends in Cervical Cancer Incidence and Mortality in Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania

Objective

The burden of cervical cancer varies considerably in the European Union. In this paper, we describe trends in incidence of and mortality from this cancer in the five most affected member states.

Methods

Data on number of deaths from uterine cancers and the size of the female population of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Romania were extracted from the WHO mortality database. Mortality rates were corrected for inaccuracies in the death certification of not otherwise specified uterine cancer. Incidence data were obtained from the national cancer registries. Joinpoint regression was used to study the annual variation of corrected and standardized incidence and mortality rates. Changes by birth cohort were assessed for specific age groups and subsequently synthesized by computing standardized cohort incidence/mortality ratios.

Results

Joinpoint regression revealed rising trends of incidence (in Lithuania, Bulgaria and Romania) and of mortality (in Latvia, Lithuania, Bulgaria and Romania). In Estonia, rates were rather stable. Women born between 1940 and 1960 were at continuously increasing risk of both incidence of and mortality from cervical cancer.

Conclusions

Rising trends of cervical cancer in the most affected EU member states reveal a worrying pattern that warrants urgent introduction of effective preventive actions as described in the European guidelines.

Trends in gynecologic cancer mortality in East Asian regions

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate uterine and ovarian cancer mortality trends in East Asian countries.

METHODS

For three Asian countries and one region (Japan, Korea, Singapore, and Hong Kong), we extracted number of deaths for each year from the World Health Organization (WHO) mortality database, focusing on women ≥20 years old. The WHO population data were used to estimate person-years at risk for women. The annual age-standardized, truncated rates were evaluated for four age groups. We also compared age-specific mortality rates during three calendar periods (1979 to 1988, 1989 to 1998, and 1999 to 2010). Joinpoint regression was used to determine secular trends in mortality. To obtain cervical and uterine corpus cancer mortality rates in Korea, we re-allocated the cases with uterine cancer of unspecified subsite according to the proportion in the National Cancer Incidence Databases.

RESULTS

Overall, uterine cancer mortality has decreased in each of the Asian regions. In Korea, corrected cervical cancer mortality has declined since 1993, at an annual percentage change (APC) of -4.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], -5.3 to -4.4). On the other hand, corrected uterine corpus cancer mortality has abruptly increased since 1995 (APC, 6.7; 95% CI, 5.4 to 8.0). Ovarian cancer mortality was stable, except in Korea, where mortality rates steadily increased at an APC of 6.2% (95% CI, 3.4 to 9.0) during 1995 to 2000, and subsequently stabilized.

CONCLUSION

Although uterine cancer mortality rates are declining in East Asia, additional effort is warranted to reduce the burden of gynecologic cancer in the future, through the implementation of early detection programs and the use of optimal therapeutic strategies.

Trends in corpus uteri cancer mortality in member states of the European Union

OBJECTIVES

The burden of corpus uteri cancer varies in the European Union (EU). We analysed trends in corpus uteri cancer mortality in 26 EU member states from 1970 onward.

METHODS

Population numbers and number of uterine cancer deaths were extracted from the World Health Organisation mortality database. Corpus uteri cancer mortality rates were corrected for certification problems using different reallocation rules for deaths registered as uterine cancer not otherwise specified, or using mixed disease codes. Join point regression was used to study the annual percentage change of age-standardised corpus uteri cancer mortality rates. Changes in corpus uteri cancer mortality rates by calendar period and standardised cohort mortality ratios were also estimated.

RESULTS

In 2008, 12,903 women died from corpus uteri cancer in the EU. Corrected age-standardised corpus uteri cancer mortality rates have decreased significantly over the past decades in most member states, with exception of Malta and Bulgaria, where rates increased; Greece, where rates remained low but stable; and Sweden, where rates have been stable since 1970. Original member states showed a steeper decrease than newer member states. The standardised cohort mortality ratios indicated that corpus uteri cancer mortality does not decrease further, nor does it increase, among women born after 1940, although these birth cohorts may still be too young for corpus uteri cancer incidence to be fully evaluated.

CONCLUSION

Our corrected corpus uteri cancer mortality rates showed a decrease in most EU member states among women born before 1940.

Attendance at cervical cancer screening and use of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures on the uterine cervix assessed from individual health insurance data (Belgium, 2002-2006)

Objective

To assess the coverage for cervical cancer screening as well as the use of cervical cytology, colposcopy and other diagnostic and therapeutic interventions on the uterine cervix in Belgium, using individual health insurance data.

Methods

The Intermutualistic Agency compiled a database containing 14 million records from reimbursement claims for Pap smears, colposcopies, cervical biopsies and surgery, performed between 2002 and 2006. Cervical cancer screening coverage was defined as the proportion of women aged 25–64 that had a Pap smear within the last 3 years.

Results

Cervical cancer screening coverage was 61% at national level, for the target population of women between 25 and 64 years old, in the period 2004–2006. Differences between the 3 regions were small, but varied more substantially between provinces. Coverage was 70% for 25–34 year old women, 67% for those aged 35–39 years, and decreased to 44% in the age group of 60–64 years. The median screening interval was 13 months. The screening coverage varied substantially by social category: 40% and 64%, in women categorised as beneficiary or not-beneficiary of increased reimbursement from social insurance, respectively. In the 3-year period 2004–2006, 3.2 million screen tests were done in the target group consisting of 2.8 million women. However, only 1.7 million women got one or more smears and 1.1 million women had no smears, corresponding to an average of 1.88 smears per woman in three years of time. Colposcopy was excessively used (number of Pap smears over colposcopies = 3.2). The proportion of women with a history of conisation or hysterectomy, before the age of 65, was 7% and 19%, respectively.

Conclusion

The screening coverage increased slightly from 59% in 2000 to 61% in 2006. The screening intensity remained at a high level, and the number of cytological examinations was theoretically sufficient to cover more than the whole target population.

Monitoring the profile of cervical cancer in a developing city

Background

Medical records are frequently consulted to verify whether the treatment and guiding principles were correct. Determine incidence and mortality trends of in situ and invasive neoplasms of the uterine cervix, in the period 1988–2004 in Goiânia, Brazil.

Methods

The incident cases were identified through the Population-Based Cancer Registry of Goiânia. Population data were collected from census data of the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. For mortality analysis, data were extracted from the Mortality Information System. The Poisson Regression was utilized to determine the annual incidence and mortality rates.

Results

A total of 4446 cases of in situ and invasive neoplasms of the uterine cervix were identified. No significant reductions were verified in invasive cervical cancer rates (p = 0.386) during the study period, while in situ carcinomas presented an annual increasing trend of 13.08% (p < 0.001). A decreasing trend was observed for mortality (3.02%, p = 0.017).

Conclusion

No reduction was observed for the incidence of invasive cancer of the uterine cervix; however, increasing trends were verified for in situ lesions with a consequent reduction in mortality rates. These increasing trends may be the result of recently-implemented screening programs or due to improvements in the notification system.

Cervical cancer mortality trends in Brazil, 1981-2006

The aim of this study was to describe cervical cancer mortality trends in Brazil for the period 1981-2006. Cervical cancer mortality was corrected on the basis of proportional redistribution of the deaths from "malignant neoplasm of uterus, part unspecified". Time trends were evaluated by means of simple linear regression. After correction, cervical cancer ranked second among the leading causes of death from cancer in the female population up to 2005, with a downward trend for the country as a whole, a decline in the State capitals, and a stable trend in the municipalities in the interior. A downward trend was confirmed in the State capitals in all geographic regions of the country. In the municipalities in the interior, there was an increase in the North and Northeast regions, a decline in the Southeast and South, and a stable trend in the Central-West. Although uneven, the decline began to take consistent shape in the country. Even better results could be achieved by investing in the expansion of screening coverage, especially among the populations at greatest risk.

[Cervical cancer screening: past--present--future]

Despite the undisputed and impressive success which has been achieved since the 1960s by cervical cytology in the fight against cervical cancer and its precursor stages, during which the mortality rate in industrialized countries over the last 40 years has been reduced by two-thirds to three-quarters, a perfect and error-free screening procedure is still a long way off and will probably never be reached. There are two main reasons for this, the lack of adequate coverage and suboptimal quality and assessment of smears. Two screening procedures are in use Europe, an opportunistic and an organized system. Both systems have many advantages but also disadvantages. In organized programs the coverage is higher (up to 80%), although similar numbers are also achieved by non-organized programs over a 3-year cycle, even if they cannot be so exactly documented. The decision on which system is used depends on the health system of the country, public or non-public, and many other national circumstances. However, in both systems prerequisites for a satisfactory result is a high quality in the sampling technique, the processing and the assessment. Therefore, several guidelines have been introduced by state and medical societies for internal and external quality assurance. New technologies, such as thin-layer cytology or automation for replacement or support of conventional cytology liquid-based cytology proved not to be superior enough to justify the high costs of these systems. The recognition of the strong causal relationship between persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types and cervical cancer and its precursors has resulted in the development of comparably simple tests. Primary screening using HPV typing alone is not recommended in opportunistic screening due to the low specificity but high sensitivity because it leads to many clinically irrelevant results which place women under stress. In organized screening HPV testing is always and only possible in combination with cytology. Various models and approaches are in the testing phase and appear promising. HPV testing is on the other hand well accepted and recommended as a triage test to select women with equivocal smear results (Pap group III, ASCUS) if a biopsy is required or can be followed up and also for follow-up of patients after cone biopsy. However, vaccination of young girls against oncogenic HPV types which has now become widespread still leaves many questions open for the future because the observation period is too short. There is justified hope that this will become a valuable tool in cervical cancer control and may lead to a substantial reduction in the burden of cervical cancer in the future. However, as the current vaccines on the market do not cover all oncogenic virus types and the effects of vaccination will only be observed after many years, the necessity of a cytological screening will remain unrestricted. Therefore, cervical cytology will remain as the trusted, simple to use, economic and proven, like no other method for early cancer detection, efficient procedure even in the foreseeable future. If carried out with the highest quality demands it will play a central role in the early detection of cervical cancer.

Correção da magnitude da mortalidade por câncer do colo do útero no Brasil, 1996-2005

OBJETIVO: Desenvolver uma metodologia para correção da magnitude dos óbitos por câncer do colo do útero no Brasil. MÉTODOS: Os dados sobre os 9.607.177 óbitos foram obtidos do Sistema de Informação sobre Mortalidade, para o período de 1996 a 2005. Para a correção do sub-registro, foram utilizados os fatores de expansão gerados pelo Projeto Carga Global de Doença no Brasil - 1998. Para correção das categorias de diagnósticos desconhecidos, incompletos ou mal definidos de óbitos, foi aplicada redistribuição proporcional. Os dados ausentes de idade foram corrigidos por imputação. As correções foram aplicadas por Unidade Federativa e os resultados apresentados para o Brasil, região e áreas geográficas (capital, demais municípios das regiões metropolitanas e interior) por meio do percentual de variabilidade da magnitude das taxas, antes e após a correção dos óbitos. O comportamento das correções foi analisado por modelo de regressão linear multivariada com termos de interação entre região do País e área geográfica. RESULTADOS: As taxas corrigidas de mortalidade por câncer do colo do útero no Brasil mostraram um acréscimo de 103,4%, variando de 35% para as capitais da região Sul a 339% para o interior da região Nordeste. A redistribuição dos óbitos por câncer de útero sem especificação de localização anatômica promoveu os maiores acréscimos na magnitude das taxas. Os percentuais de correção, segundo ano de ocorrência do óbito, mostraram tendência estacionária no Brasil. CONCLUSÕES: Os resultados permitem concluir que a metodologia proposta foi adequada para corrigir a magnitude das taxas de mortalidade por câncer do colo do útero no País, mostrando que a mortalidade por esse câncer é ainda maior do que o observado nos informes oficiais.

Description of cervical cancer mortality in Belgium using Bayesian age-period-cohort models

Objective

To correct cervical cancer mortality rates for death cause certification problems in Belgium and to describe the corrected trends (1954-1997) using Bayesian models.

Method

Cervical cancer (cervix uteri (CVX), corpus uteri (CRP), not otherwise specified (NOS) uterus cancer and other very rare uterus cancer (OTH) mortality data were extracted from the WHO mortality database together with population data for Belgium and the Netherlands.

Different ICD (International Classification of Diseases) were used over time for death cause certification. In the Netherlands, the proportion of not-otherwise specified uterine cancer deaths was small over large periods and therefore internal reallocation could be used to estimate the corrected rates cervical cancer mortality. In Belgium, the proportion of improperly defined uterus deaths was high. Therefore, the age-specific proportions of uterus cancer deaths that are probably of cervical origin for the Netherlands was applied to Belgian uterus cancer deaths to estimate the corrected number of cervix cancer deaths (corCVX).

A Bayesian loglinear Poisson-regression model was performed to disentangle the separate effects of age, period and cohort.

Results

The corrected age standardized mortality rate (ASMR) decreased regularly from 9.2/100 000 in the mid 1950s to 2.5/100,000 in the late 1990s. Inclusion of age, period and cohort into the models were required to obtain an adequate fit. Cervical cancer mortality increases with age, declines over calendar period and varied irregularly by cohort.

Conclusion

Mortality increased with ageing and declined over time in most age-groups, but varied irregularly by birth cohort. In global, with some discrete exceptions, mortality decreased for successive generations up to the cohorts born in the 1930s. This decline stopped for cohorts born in the 1940s and thereafter. For the youngest cohorts, even a tendency of increasing risk of dying from cervical cancer could be observed, reflecting increased exposure to risk factors. The fact that this increase was limited for the youngest cohorts could be explained as an effect of screening.

Bayesian modeling provided similar results compared to previously used classical Poisson models. However, Bayesian models are more robust for estimating rates when data are sparse (youngest age groups, most recent cohorts) and can be used to for predicting future trends.

The challenges of organising cervical screening programmes in the 15 old member states of the European Union

Cervical cancer incidence and mortality can be reduced substantially by organised cytological screening at 3 to 5 year intervals, as was demonstrated in the Nordic countries, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and parts of Italy. Opportunistic screening, often proposed at yearly schedules, has also reduced the burden of cervical cancer in some, but not all, of the other old member states (belonging to the European Union since 1995) but at a cost that is several times greater. Well organised screening programmes have the potential to achieve greater participation of the target population at regular intervals, equity of access and high quality. Despite the consistent evidence that organised screening is more efficient than non-organised screening, and in spite of the Cancer Screening Recommendations of the European Council, health authorities of eight old member states (Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain) have not yet started national organised implementation of screening for cervical cancer. A decision was made by the Irish government to extend their pilot programme nationally while new regional programmes commenced in Portugal and Spain. Introduction of new methods of prevention, such as HPV screening and prophylactic HPV vaccination, can reduce the burden further, but this will require a high level of organisation with particular attention needed for the maximisation of population coverage, compliance with evidence-based guidelines, monitoring of data enabling continued evaluation and improvement of the preventive programmes.

Tendência de mortalidade por câncer de colo de útero para o Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil, 1980-2005

Foi avaliada a tendência da mortalidade por câncer cervical no Estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil, no período compreendido entre 1980-2005. Os dados demográficos e de mortalidade disponíveis na página da Internet do Departamento de Informática do SUS (DATASUS) foram utilizados para estimar a taxa de mortalidade por câncer de colo de útero e útero porção não especificada no local e período considerados. Foi realizada regressão linear, considerando-se a taxa de mortalidade como variável resposta e o ano do diagnóstico como variável explicativa. A mortalidade variou de 9,18/100 mil em 1980 para 5,70/100 mil em 2005. O modelo log-linear revelou redução da mortalidade por câncer cervical de cerca de 1,93% ao ano na região e período avaliados (p = 0,000), sendo tal redução observada principalmente para os casos classificados como câncer de útero porção não especificada. A tendência observada de queda da mortalidade pela doença sugere melhoria no acesso a métodos de diagnóstico e tratamento oportunos e adequados em Minas Gerais nos últimos anos, embora a cobertura do rastreamento ainda seja insatisfatória.

Analysis of 13 million individual patient records pertaining to Pap smears, colposcopies, biopsies and surgery on the uterine cervix (Belgium, 1996-2000)

OBJECTIVE

Cervical cancer screening by surveys overestimate coverage because of selection and reporting biases.

METHODS

The prepared Inter-Mutualistic Agency dataset has about 13 million records from Pap smears, colposcopies, cervical biopsies and surgery, performed in Belgium between 1996 and 2000. Cervical cancer screening coverage was defined as the proportion of the target population (women of 25-64 years) that has had a Pap smear taken within the last 3 years. Proportions and incidence rates were computed using official population data of the corresponding age group, area and calendar year.

RESULTS

Cervical cancer screening coverage, in the period 1998-2000, was 59% at national level, for the target age group 25-64 years. Differences were small between the 3 regions. Variation ranged from 39% to 71%. Coverage was 64% for 25-29 year old women, 67% for those aged 30-39 years, 56% for those aged 50-54. The modal screening interval was 1 year. In the 3-year period 1998-2000, 3 million smears were taken from the 2.7 million women in the age group 25-64. Only 1.6 million women of the target group got one or more smears in that period and 1.1 million women had no smears, corresponding to an average of 1.88 smears per woman.

CONCLUSION

Coverage reached only 59%, but the number of smears used was sufficient to cover more than 100% of the target population. Structural reduction of overuse and extension of coverage is warranted.

Trends in cervical cancer mortality in korea 1993-2002: Corrected mortality using national death certification data and national cancer incidence data

Cervical cancer is a major health problem for Korean women, accounting for 9.8% of new female cancer cases, even though incidence rates have been decreasing. The Korean cervical cancer mortality rate for 1993-2002 based on National Statistical Office data shows an increasing trend, but the actual rates are thought to have decreased by epidemiologists, clinicians and other cancer experts. To explain this gap and solve this problem, we corrected the number of cervical cancer deaths by comparing death certificate cases of unspecified uterine cancer data with the national cancer incidence databases of entire cancer registries in Korea. We used 2 different methods to make a correction. First, we considered "uterus, unspecified" deaths previously registered as "cervix, uterine" cases misclassified and added them to the cervical cancer deaths. Alternatively, we multiplied the total number of registered unspecified uterine cancer deaths by age-specific proportions of registered incident cervical cancer cases among all cancers and added the product to cervical cancer deaths. The overall corrected age-standardized cervical cancer mortality rates per 100,000 women decreased from 5.2 in 1993 to 3.9 in 2002 (estimated annual percentage change (EAPC): -4.05%, 95% CI: -4.88, -3.22). While cervical cancer mortality showed a decreasing tendency in women aged 30-69 years, it increased substantially in women aged > or =70 years (EAPC: 3.62%, 95% CI: 1.92-5.35). Results of this study will provide evidence-based foundation for the evaluation of the existing cervical cancer-screening programs.

Burden of cervical cancer in Europe: estimates for 2004

The European Council recommends that organised cervical cancer screening be offered in all member states. In order to evaluate the impact of existing and new prevention methods, regularly updated information on the burden of cervical cancer is needed. The best estimates of mortality and incidence rates were applied to the 2004 projected population of 40 European countries using methods developed by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Using the absolute number of cases and deaths, the standardised and cumulative rates (up to age of 74 years) were computed for individual countries, and aggregated for the 15 old (EU15) and the 10 new member states (EU10) of the European Union (EU25). For the 28 countries (25 belonging to the EU25 and three others), deaths from not otherwise specified uterine cancer were reallocated to cervix or corpus uteri cancer using age-specific rules described in GLOBOCAN 2002. The burden of cervical cancer deaths in the whole of Europe was assessed by analysing uterus cancer mortality in women aged <45 years. In 2004, approximately 31,000 women in the EU25 developed cervical cancer and almost 14,000 died from the disease. A striking contrast is noted between the 15 old and 10 new EU member states: world age-standardised incidence rates (per 10(5) women-years) of 9.5 versus 16.7; standardised mortality rates of 4.9 versus 10.7; cumulative mortality rate of 0.27% versus 0.71%. The burden was lowest in Finland (cumulative incidence and mortality rate of 0.38% and 0.12%, respectively) and highest in Lithuania (cumulative incidence and mortality of 1.64% and 0.94%, respectively). The mapping of uterine cancer mortality among women aged <45 years indicates that the burden of cervical cancer is particularly high across the whole of Eastern Europe. Cervical cancer still constitutes a considerable public health problem in Europe. The dramatic contrast between West and East European states merits particular attention from the health authorities of the countries concerned and the EU as a whole. The European Commission should maintain cervical cancer control in future action plans and increase support to the most affected member states.

The effect of performing corrections on reported uterine cancer mortality data in the city of São Paulo

Reports of uterine cancer deaths that do not specify the subsite of the tumor threaten the quality of the epidemiologic appraisal of corpus and cervix uteri cancer mortality. The present study assessed the impact of correcting the estimated corpus and cervix uteri cancer mortality in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The epidemiologic assessment of death rates comprised the estimation of magnitudes, trends (1980-2003), and area-level distribution based on three strategies: i) using uncorrected death certificate information; ii) correcting estimates of corpus and cervix uteri mortality by fully reallocating unspecified deaths to either one of these categories, and iii) partially correcting specified estimates by maintaining as unspecified a fraction of deaths certified as due to cancer of "uterus not otherwise specified". The proportion of uterine cancer deaths without subsite specification decreased from 42.9% in 1984 to 20.8% in 2003. Partial and full corrections resulted in considerable increases of cervix (31.3 and 48.8%, respectively) and corpus uteri (34.4 and 55.2%) cancer mortality. Partial correction did not change trends for subsite-specific uterine cancer mortality, whereas full correction did, thus representing an early indication of decrease for cervical neoplasms and stability for tumors of the corpus uteri in this population. Ecologic correlations between mortality and socioeconomic indices were unchanged for both strategies of correcting estimates. Reallocating unspecified uterine cancer mortality in contexts with a high proportion of these deaths has a considerable impact on the epidemiologic profile of mortality and provides more reliable estimates of cervix and corpus uteri cancer death rates and trends.

Hodgkin disease survival in Europe and the U.S

BACKGROUND

The survival of patients with Hodgkin disease (HD) varies markedly across Europe and generally is shorter than the survival of patients in the U.S. To investigate these differences, the authors compared population-based HD survival in relation to morphologic type among populations in Europe and the U.S.

METHODS

The authors analyzed 6726 patients from 37 cancer registries that participated in EUROCARE-3 and 3442 patients from 9 U.S. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) registries. Patients were diagnosed during 1990 to 1994 and were followed for at least 5 years. The European registries were grouped into EUROCARE West, EUROCARE UK, and EUROCARE East. Morphologic groups were nodular sclerosis, mixed cellularity, lymphocyte depletion, lymphocyte predominance, and not otherwise specified (NOS). The influence of morphology on geographic differences in 5-year relative survival was explored by using multiple regression analysis.

RESULTS

In the model that was adjusted by age, gender, and years since diagnosis, the relative excess risk (RER) of death was 0.93 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.81-1.05) in EUROCARE West, 1.15 (95% CI, 1.04-1.28) in EUROCARE UK, and 1.39 (95% CI, 1.21-1.60) in EUROCARE East (compared with the SEER data). When morphology was included, EUROCARE UK and SEER no longer differed (RER, 1.06; 95% CI, 0.95-1.18). Morphology distribution varied markedly across Europe and much less in the U.S., with nodular sclerosis less common in Europe (45.9%) than the U.S. (61.7%). The RER data showed that patients who had lymphocyte depletion, NOS, and mixed cellularity had a significantly worse prognoses compared with patients who had nodular sclerosis, whereas patients who had lymphocyte predominance had the best prognosis.

CONCLUSIONS

The current results provide population-based evidence that morphology strongly influences the prognosis of patients with HD. However differences in the morphologic case mix explains only some of the geographic variations observed in survival.

Sheep and goats: separating cervix and corpus uteri from imprecisely coded uterine cancer deaths, for studies of geographical and temporal variations in mortality

Analysing time trends in mortality from cancers of the cervix and corpus uteri using routine data sources (such as the World Health Organisation mortality database) involves two major problems: deaths certified as "uterus, unspecified site", and the presence of a combined category comprising unspecified and corpus uteri cancer deaths. To avoid misleading interpretations, the unspecified and the misclassified data must be incorporated into the analysis to produce rates that allow meaningful comparisons between populations and over time. Reallocation methods based on age- and time-specific distributions of cervix and corpus uteri cancer are applied to the unspecified deaths, while for those in the combined category, the age- and time-specific distributions of unspecified and corpus uteri cancer are considered. Adjustments of the general strategies for reallocation were developed to take into account the different quality of the data. Results from eight European countries with different degrees of coding precision are presented. The reallocation methods bring the cervix and corpus uteri mortality trends more in line with the trends for countries with more precise data while keeping the country-specific characteristics. In addition, the methods ensured the availability of time trends for corpus uteri cancer in women age 50 years and older, which were completely missing without reallocation. We propose generally applicable reallocation methods that allow valid time trend analysis of cervix and corpus uteri cancer mortality using datasets of varying precision. Our results show that any sensible analysis of time trends must involve procedures for correcting for unspecified and misclassified uterine cancer deaths. The modified data are available at .

Cervical cancer screening programmes and policies in 18 European countries

A questionnaire survey was conducted by the Epidemiology Working Group of the European Cervical Cancer Screening Network, and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC, between August and December 2003 in 35 centres in 20 European countries with reliable cervical cancer incidence and/or mortality data in databanks held at IARC and WHO. The questionnaire was completed by 28 centres from 20 countries. The final tables included information on 25 centres from 18 countries. Six countries had started screening in the 1960s, whereas 10 countries or regions had started at least a pilot programme by 2003. There were six invitational and nine partially invitational programmes, the rest employing opportunistic screening only. Recommended lifetime number of smears varied from seven to more than 50. Coverage of smear test within the recommended screening interval (usually 3 or 5 years) was above 80% in three countries. Screening registration took place in 13 programmes. Eight programmes reported the rates of screen-detected cervical cancers and precursor lesions. There was wide variation in the CIN3 detection rates. International guidelines and quality assurance protocols are useful for monitoring and evaluating screening programmes systematically. Our survey indicated that the recommendations as currently given are met in only few European countries. Health authorities need to consider stronger measures and incentives than those laid out in the current set of recommendations.

International variation

There were an estimated 10 million new cases, 6 million deaths and 22 million persons living with cancer in the year 2000. The most common cancers are, in terms of new cases, lung (1.2 million), breast (1.05 million), colon-rectum (945 000), stomach (876 000) and liver (564 000). The geographic distributions of some 20 types of cancer for which national estimates have been made are summarized. These patterns are examined with respect to the likely reasons in terms of variation in exposure to carcinogens (in the external environment or through lifestyle choices) or in genetic susceptibility to them. Related data from studies of migrant populations (that allow comparisons of genetically similar populations living in different environments) and from comparisons between different ethnic groups living in the same country are used to help in the interpretation of the geographic patterns. Information on the burden of disease also has a very important role in the planning and monitoring of programmes of cancer control.