ACKGROUND. Mortality from childhood cancer in general and childhood leukemia in particular has sharply declined in economically developed countries over the last 30 years, whereas the incidence of these diseases has remained essentially unaltered. Therefore, childhood malignancies can be used as tracers of accessibility to and effectiveness of medical care. The objective of this study was to compare the reduction of mortality from childhood cancer in general, and childhood leukemia in particular, in four economically developed areas of the world, to assess accessibility to and effectiveness of technologically advanced medical care. METHODS. The authors used data from the World Health Organization to compare the evolution over time of gender specific, age-adjusted mortality from childhood cancer in general and childhood leukemia in particular in the childhood (birth to age 14 years) populations of North America, western Europe, Japan, and Australia and New Zealand during the period 1960-1993. They assessed the evolution over time and the cumulative percentage representing the decline in mortality from childhood cancer and childhood leukemia in the four aforementioned areas of the world. RESULTS. The decline in mortality from both the disease entities considered and for both genders has been more pronounced in North America than in other economically developed areas of the world. CONCLUSIONS. When disease control depends on technologically advanced medical care, as in the case of cancer, the North American population is benefited by earlier and effective introduction of new therapeutic approaches. This conclusion does not apply to other childhood diseases, the incidence of which is higher among low-income groups and control of which depends on prevention rather than treatment.

Trends in childhood cancer mortality as indicators of the quality of medical care in the developed world / C. La Vecchia, F. Levi, F. Lucchini, P. Lagiou, D. Trichopoulos, E. Negri. - In: CANCER. - ISSN 0008-543X. - 83:10(1998 Nov 15), pp. 2223-2227.

Trends in childhood cancer mortality as indicators of the quality of medical care in the developed world

C. La Vecchia;E. Negri
1998

Abstract

ACKGROUND. Mortality from childhood cancer in general and childhood leukemia in particular has sharply declined in economically developed countries over the last 30 years, whereas the incidence of these diseases has remained essentially unaltered. Therefore, childhood malignancies can be used as tracers of accessibility to and effectiveness of medical care. The objective of this study was to compare the reduction of mortality from childhood cancer in general, and childhood leukemia in particular, in four economically developed areas of the world, to assess accessibility to and effectiveness of technologically advanced medical care. METHODS. The authors used data from the World Health Organization to compare the evolution over time of gender specific, age-adjusted mortality from childhood cancer in general and childhood leukemia in particular in the childhood (birth to age 14 years) populations of North America, western Europe, Japan, and Australia and New Zealand during the period 1960-1993. They assessed the evolution over time and the cumulative percentage representing the decline in mortality from childhood cancer and childhood leukemia in the four aforementioned areas of the world. RESULTS. The decline in mortality from both the disease entities considered and for both genders has been more pronounced in North America than in other economically developed areas of the world. CONCLUSIONS. When disease control depends on technologically advanced medical care, as in the case of cancer, the North American population is benefited by earlier and effective introduction of new therapeutic approaches. This conclusion does not apply to other childhood diseases, the incidence of which is higher among low-income groups and control of which depends on prevention rather than treatment.
childhood malignancies; childhood leukemia; quality of care; trends
Settore MED/01 - Statistica Medica
15-nov-1998
Article (author)
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
Vecchia_et_al-1998-Cancer.pdf

accesso riservato

Tipologia: Publisher's version/PDF
Dimensione 111.77 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
111.77 kB Adobe PDF   Visualizza/Apri   Richiedi una copia
Pubblicazioni consigliate

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/519912
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? 6
  • Scopus 41
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 39
social impact