Purpose: Cancer is the one of the leading cause of death worldwide. The aim of this study was to examine cancer mortality trends in the population of central Serbia in the period from 2002 to 2011.
Methods: The descriptive epidemiological method was used. The mortality from all malignant tumors (code C00-C96 of the International Disease Classification) was registered. The source of mortality data was the published material of the Cancer Registry of Serbia. The source of population data was the census of 2002 and 2011 and the estimates for inter-census years. Non-standardized, age-adjusted and age-specific mortality rates were calculated. Age adjustment of mortality rates was performed by the direct method of standardization. Trend lines were estimated using linear regression.
Results: During 2002-2011, cancer caused about 20% of all deaths each year in central Serbia. More men (56.9%) than women (43.1%) died of cancer. The average mortality rate for men was 1.3 times higher compared to women. A significant trend of increase of the age-adjusted mortality rates was recorded both for males (p<0.001) and for females (p=0.02). Except gastric cancer, the age-adjusted mortality rates in men were significantly increased for lung cancer (p=0.02), colorectal cancer (p<0.05), prostate cancer (p=0.01) and pancreatic cancer (p=0.01). Age-adjusted mortality rates for breast cancer in females were remarkably increased (p=0.01), especially after 2007.
Conclusions: In central Serbia during the period from 2002 to 2011, there was an increasing trend in mortality rates due to cancers in both sexes. Cancer mortality in males was 1.3-fold higher compared to females.