TRENDS OF CHILDHOOD MORTALITY BY TUMORS I N CATALONIA (SPAIN), 1975-1992

BACKGROUND: Childhood mortality from tumors has decreased in industria lized countries. The aim of this paper is to study the trend of mortal ity from tumors In children (under 15 years old) during the period 197 5-1992. METHODS: Using data from the Department of Health and Social S ecurity's Register of Mortality, age group standardized (to world popu lation) mortality rates for each sex were analyzed. Analysis was carri ed out on total mortality caused by childhood tumors and on main cause s of death (leukemia, brain cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, bone cancer and non specified tumors), A Poisson's regression model was used to an alyze mortality trends. RESULTS: Childhood tumors caused 8.7% of all d eaths in boys and 8.5% of all deaths in girls between 1990-1992. Thus, standardized mortality rates have decreased significantly, in 1975-19 77 standardized mortality rates for boys and girls were 71.20 and 68.0 5 respectively, in 1990-1992 these rates had fallen to 55.45 and 41.30 . The annual percentage decrease in cancer mortality rates for boys wa s 2% and for girls was 3.1%. Main causes of deaths were leukemia and b rain cancer. CONCLUSIONS: Between 1975-1999 a significant downward tre nd in childhood tumors mortality has been observed, more prominent in main causes of death and in girls, The principal explanation for this trend is an increased survival, consequence of changes in childhood tu mors therapy.