Trends in incidence of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus and gastric cardiain ten European countries

Background In many western countries an increase in incidence of adenocarci noma of the oesophagus and/or gastric cardia have been reported. The aim of this study was to describe and compare trends in incidence of adenocarcino ma of the oesophagus and gastric cardia in several areas of Europe, 1968-19 95, using Eurocim (a database of cancer incidence and mortality data from 9 5 European cancer registries). Methods Time-trends in age-standardized incidence rates of adenocarcinomas of the oesophagus and gastric cardia are described in 11 population-based c ancer registries from 10 countries in North, South, East, West and Central Europe, 1968-1995. The statistical significance of the time-trends in incid ence was assessed using Poisson regression analysis. Results An increase in incidence of adenocarcinomas of the oesophagus and g astric cardia was observed in Northern Europe (Denmark), Southern Europe (I taly, Varese), Eastern Europe (Slovakia) and Western Europe (England and Wa les, Scotland). In Central Europe (Switzerland, Basel) and in the cancer re gistries of Iceland (Northern Europe), France, Bas-Rhin and Calvados, South ern Ireland, and the Netherlands, Eindhoven (Western Europe) no rise in inc idence was observed. The increase in incidence of adenocarcinomas of the oe sophagus and gastric cardia was accompanied by a decrease in incidence of b oth adenocarcinomas and non-adenocarcinomas of the non-cardia part of the s tomach in almost all of the 11 cancer registries studied. Increased histolo gical verification of tumours of the oesophagus and stomach and improvement in precision of histological diagnosis may partly explain the increase in incidence of adenocarcinomas in some registries. Conclusions This study, using Eurocim data, supports the findings from othe r time-trend studies of population-based cancer registries in western count ries.