Changed trends of cancer mortality in the elderly

Background: Trends in cancer mortality for the elderly have long been unfav ourable. Materials and methods: Mortality from 12 major cancer sites, plus total can cer mortality at age 65-84 in 23 European countries, the US and Japan was a nalyzed. Results: Between the late 1980s and the late 1990s total cancer mortality a t age 65 to 84 has been declining in the European Union (UE) (-5.5% in male s, -4.5% in females), in United States (US) males (-2.3%), but not females (+4.4%), and in Japanese females (-5.6%), but not males (+6.3%). Cancer mor tality in the elderly rose for both sexes in eastern Europe. Gastric cancer mortality declined in all the areas. Lung cancer rates declined over the l ast decade by 8.5% in males in the EU, and by 0.9% in the US. Rates were st ill increasing in eastern Europe, in Japanese males and in females in all a reas. Pancreatic mortality rates were increasing in both sexes in the EU an d Japan up to the late 1980s, and in eastern Europe up to the 1990s, wherea s rates for US males have been declining over recent years. Breast cancer m ortality has declined over the last decade by 8% in the US and by 3% in the EU, while it has risen in eastern Europe and in Japan. Mortality from brea st and prostate as well as ovarian cancer remained however low in elderly J apanese. Prostate cancer mortality declined in the EU and in the US, wherea s it rose in eastern Europe and in Japan. Mortality from lymphomas and mult iple myeloma rose in both sexes and various geographic areas, but improved diagnosis and certification may have played a role in these trends. Mortali ty from leukemia in the elderly increased in eastern Europe and Japan, but was stable in the US and the EU. Conclusions: Cancer mortality in the elderly has stopped systematically ris ing, and is on the decline in males since the late 1980s.