Cancer mortality in the elderly in 11 countries worldwide, 1970-2015

BACKGROUND: Population ageing results in an increasing cancer burden in the elderly. We aimed to evaluate time-trends in cancermortality for adults aged 65 and over for 17 major cancer-types and all cancer combined in 11 countries worldwide over the period 1970-2015. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We obtained cancer death certification and population figures from the WHO and PAHO databases. We computed age-standardized (world standard population) rates for individuals aged 65 and over, and applied joinpoint regression models. RESULTS: Age-standardized mortality rates for all cancers combined showed a heterogeneous, but widespread decline. Lung cancermortality rates have been decreasing among men, and increasing among women. Pancreatic cancer had unfavourable trends in all countriesfor both sexes. Despite variability across countries, other tobacco-related cancers (except kidney) showed overall favourable trends, except in Poland and Russia. Age-standardized mortality from stomach cancer has been declining in all countries for both sexes. Colorectal mortalityhas been declining, except in Poland and Russia. Liver cancer mortality increased in all countries, except in Japan, France and Italy, which had the highest rates in the past. Breast cancer mortality decreased for most countries, except for Japan, Poland and Russia. Trends for age-standardized uterine cancer rates in the USA, Canada and the UK were increasing over the last decade. Ovarian cancer rates showed declines in most countries. With the exception of Russia, prostate cancer rates showed overall declines. Lymphoid neoplasm rates have been declining in both sexes, except in Poland and Russia. CONCLUSION: Over the last decades, age-standardized cancer mortality in the elderly has been decreasing in major countries worldwideand for major cancer sites, with the major exception of lung and uterine cancer in women and liver, pancreas and kidney cancers in both sexes. Cancer mortality for the elderly in Central and Eastern Europe remains comparatively high.