Monitoring progress against cancer with age-adjusted rates and trends: What role does the standard population play?

Background. Age-adjusted rates and statistical measures used to assess thes e rates are commonly used in cancer research to monitor progress against th is disease. Trends in age-adjusted rates and related summary statistics may depend on the standard population used for age adjustment. Hence, knowledg e of how the selected standard population influences such rates is essentia l for analysis and interpretation of the results. Methods. The current pape r evaluates age-specific and age adjusted trends for the three leading caus es of cancer mortality in the United States: lung and prostate cancers for males, and lung and breast cancers for females. Results, Conclusions. The a nalysis shows that the choice of the standard population for age adjustment of the rates can influence one's perception of the progress being made aga inst cancer.