MORTALITY TREND FROM PROSTATE-CANCER IN THE NETHERLANDS (1950-1989)

The trend in prostate cancer mortality in The Netherlands was studied, using data from the National Causes of Death Registry of the Central Bureau of Statistics. During the period 1950-1989, the age-adjusted mo rtality rate showed a steady rise from 20.5 to 30.6 per 100,000 man-ye ars. A multiplicative model was used to examine possible period effect s and birth-cohort effects separately. This analysis demonstrated that the increase in prostate cancer mortality is largely due to a birth-c ohort effect, though calendar time of death may have had a slight effe ct as well. Among Dutch men, a continuous increase of mortality from p rostate cancer was found in consecutive birth cohorts. This finding is in contrast with that of comparable studies in other Western countrie s, in which a peak mortality rate was found for the cohort born at the end of the 19th century with stabilizing or declining rates for later birth cohorts. (C) 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.