Objective: To understand the current epidemiological characteristics as well as the trends of stomach cancer deaths in China.
Methods: The data of stomach cancer mortalities in 2004 - 2005, from 158 sampling areas in the Third National Retrospective Sampling Survey of Death Causes in China, were analyzed and compared with the results from previous two national surveys.
Results: The crude and age-standardized death rates of stomach cancer were 24.71/100 000 (35 250/142 660 482) and 16.16/100 000, respectively, accounted for 18.19% (35 250/193 841) and ranking third of cancer causes in the national sampling areas of China in 2004 - 2005. Those crude death rate increased by 42.01% while the age-standardized death rate decreased by 8.70% compared to the results in 1973 - 1975 (17.40/100 000 and 17.70/100 000), and both decreased 1.79% and 25.74% from 1990 - 1992 (25.16/100 000 and 21.76/100 000), respectively. For urban residents of the sampling areas, the crude and age-standardized death rates of stomach cancer were 22.98/100 000 (11 005/47 899 806) and 13.63/100 000, accounted for 15.03% (11 005/71 936) of cancer causes in 2004 - 2005, which increased by 18.21% and decreased by 31.16% from 1973 - 1975 (19.44/100 000 and 19.80/100 000), and increased by 18.21% and decreased by 11.15% from 1990 - 1992 (19.44/100 000 and 15.34/100 000), respectively. While for rural residents in the sampling areas, the crude and age-standardized death rates were 25.59/100 000 (24 245/94 760 676) and 17.64/100 000, accounted for 19.89% (24 245/121 905) of cancer causes, both increased by 53.97% and 3.76% from 1973 - 1975 (16.62/100 000 and 17.00/100 000), and both decreased by 5.78% and 27.59% from 1990 - 1992 (27.16/100 000 and 24.36/100 000), respectively.
Conclusion: The current stomach cancer is still one of predominant cancers in China. The consistently substantial decreases in age-standardized death rates of stomach cancer might prompt the beneficial impact on reducing the risks for that cancer by the social economical development during recent decades in China.