Cancer, a disease of aging (part 1) – trends in older adult cancer mortality in Switzerland 1991–2008
PRINCIPLES: It is crucial for aging societies to evaluate trends in cancer mortality rates of older adults. This study examined socio-demographic and regional characteristics specifically focused on the cancer mortality experience of older adults in Switzerland. METHODS: This study...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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SMW supporting association (Trägerverein Swiss Medical Weekly SMW)
2012-08-01
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| Series: | Swiss Medical Weekly |
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| Online Access: | https://www.smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/1572 |
| _version_ | 1811194142982668288 |
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| author | Kurt Schmidlin Adrian Spoerri Matthias Egger Marcel Zwahlen Andreas Stuck Kerri M. Clough-Gorr |
| author_facet | Kurt Schmidlin Adrian Spoerri Matthias Egger Marcel Zwahlen Andreas Stuck Kerri M. Clough-Gorr |
| author_sort | Kurt Schmidlin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
PRINCIPLES: It is crucial for aging societies to evaluate trends in cancer mortality rates of older adults. This study examined socio-demographic and regional characteristics specifically focused on the cancer mortality experience of older adults in Switzerland.
METHODS: This study included all individuals ≥65 years based on 1990/2000 censuses linked to mortality records to end of 2008 in the Swiss National Cohort. Gender-age-specific (<65, 65–74, 75–84, 85+ years) mortality rates were calculated as observed (cancer deaths/person years) and expected from Poisson models adjusted for changes in death record coding over follow-up.
RESULTS: Cancer mortality, except for lung cancer, increased with advancing age. Older men in all age groups had overall higher cancer mortality rates than older women and showed a consistent decline in all-cancer mortality (age 65–74 years 1991 rate ratio (RR) = 1.13 [95%CI 1.08, 1.19]; 2008 RR = 0.88 [95%CI 0.86, 0.90], compared to rates 2000). In contrast, older women in all age groups showed early declines with a levelling-off of all-cancer mortality beginning in 2000 (age 65–74 years 1991 RR = 1.20 [95%CI 1.14, 1.27]; 2008 RR = 0.96 [95%CI 0.93, 0.98], compared to rates 2000). For older men there appeared to be an education effect for all-cancer and lung cancer mortality; highest rates in older men with compulsory education. Younger old women living alone or in suburban areas had the most sharpest increase in lung cancer mortality rates.
CONCLUSION: This comprehensive epidemiological analysis of cancer mortality trends in older adults provides further evidence that in Switzerland (like other developed countries) cancer is a disease of aging with important gender-age-specific variations representing major public health challenges for aging societies.
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| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T00:20:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-33d5ebadc0a644318775cf493fdca084 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1424-3997 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T00:20:57Z |
| publishDate | 2012-08-01 |
| publisher | SMW supporting association (Trägerverein Swiss Medical Weekly SMW) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Swiss Medical Weekly |
| spelling | doaj.art-33d5ebadc0a644318775cf493fdca0842022-12-22T03:55:43ZengSMW supporting association (Trägerverein Swiss Medical Weekly SMW)Swiss Medical Weekly1424-39972012-08-01142333410.4414/smw.2012.13637Cancer, a disease of aging (part 1) – trends in older adult cancer mortality in Switzerland 1991–2008Kurt SchmidlinAdrian SpoerriMatthias EggerMarcel ZwahlenAndreas StuckKerri M. Clough-Gorr PRINCIPLES: It is crucial for aging societies to evaluate trends in cancer mortality rates of older adults. This study examined socio-demographic and regional characteristics specifically focused on the cancer mortality experience of older adults in Switzerland. METHODS: This study included all individuals ≥65 years based on 1990/2000 censuses linked to mortality records to end of 2008 in the Swiss National Cohort. Gender-age-specific (<65, 65–74, 75–84, 85+ years) mortality rates were calculated as observed (cancer deaths/person years) and expected from Poisson models adjusted for changes in death record coding over follow-up. RESULTS: Cancer mortality, except for lung cancer, increased with advancing age. Older men in all age groups had overall higher cancer mortality rates than older women and showed a consistent decline in all-cancer mortality (age 65–74 years 1991 rate ratio (RR) = 1.13 [95%CI 1.08, 1.19]; 2008 RR = 0.88 [95%CI 0.86, 0.90], compared to rates 2000). In contrast, older women in all age groups showed early declines with a levelling-off of all-cancer mortality beginning in 2000 (age 65–74 years 1991 RR = 1.20 [95%CI 1.14, 1.27]; 2008 RR = 0.96 [95%CI 0.93, 0.98], compared to rates 2000). For older men there appeared to be an education effect for all-cancer and lung cancer mortality; highest rates in older men with compulsory education. Younger old women living alone or in suburban areas had the most sharpest increase in lung cancer mortality rates. CONCLUSION: This comprehensive epidemiological analysis of cancer mortality trends in older adults provides further evidence that in Switzerland (like other developed countries) cancer is a disease of aging with important gender-age-specific variations representing major public health challenges for aging societies. https://www.smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/1572Cancercancer mortalitycancer trendsdancer epidemiologymortalityolder adults |
| spellingShingle | Kurt Schmidlin Adrian Spoerri Matthias Egger Marcel Zwahlen Andreas Stuck Kerri M. Clough-Gorr Cancer, a disease of aging (part 1) – trends in older adult cancer mortality in Switzerland 1991–2008 Swiss Medical Weekly Cancer cancer mortality cancer trends dancer epidemiology mortality older adults |
| title | Cancer, a disease of aging (part 1) – trends in older adult cancer mortality in Switzerland 1991–2008 |
| title_full | Cancer, a disease of aging (part 1) – trends in older adult cancer mortality in Switzerland 1991–2008 |
| title_fullStr | Cancer, a disease of aging (part 1) – trends in older adult cancer mortality in Switzerland 1991–2008 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cancer, a disease of aging (part 1) – trends in older adult cancer mortality in Switzerland 1991–2008 |
| title_short | Cancer, a disease of aging (part 1) – trends in older adult cancer mortality in Switzerland 1991–2008 |
| title_sort | cancer a disease of aging part 1 trends in older adult cancer mortality in switzerland 1991 2008 |
| topic | Cancer cancer mortality cancer trends dancer epidemiology mortality older adults |
| url | https://www.smw.ch/index.php/smw/article/view/1572 |
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