37-year incidence and mortality time trends of common cancer types by sex, age, and stage in the canton of Zurich

Abstract

AIMS OF THE STUDY: The Cancer Registry Zurich, Zug, Schaffhausen and Schwyz is one of the oldest cancer registries in Switzerland, first registering tumours in 1980 for the canton of Zurich. The aim of this study was to analyse trends in incidence and mortality for the most common types of cancer in the canton of Zurich from 1981 to 2017. METHODS: In this analysis of population-based cancer registry data, we included malignant tumours of the breast (ICD10 C50), prostate (C61), colon/rectum (C18-C21), lung (C33-C34), and melanoma (C43), diagnosed between 1981 and 2017. Age-standardised incidence and mortality rates per 100,000 person-years were computed using the 1976 European Standard Population. Incidence and mortality time trends were assessed using joinpoint regression analysis. RESULTS: In men, incidence for prostate cancer and melanoma increased over the study period, while it decreased for colon/rectum and lung cancer. A joinpoint for prostate cancer indicated the start of a decreasing trend in 2002. In women, incidence increased for breast cancer, lung cancer and melanoma; no trend was observed for colon/rectum cancer. Cancer mortality decreased for prostate, colon/rectum and lung cancer in men, with no clear trend for melanoma. In women, mortality decreased for breast cancer, colon/rectum cancer and melanoma, but increased for lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The overall increasing incidence trends for prostate and breast cancer, as well as for melanoma, are in line with data from other Western countries. While lung cancer incidence is decreasing in men, it is still on the rise in women. Despite increasing incidence rates, mortality rates are decreasing for all localisations except for lung cancer in women. The opposite direction of incidence and mortality curves is probably mostly due to better and more effective treatment options, as well as earlier detection.

Time‐trends and age and stage differences in 5‐year relative survival for common cancer types by sex in the canton of Zurich, Switzerland

“…3 This is also seen in other countries. [3][4][5][6] Large international studies such as EUROCARE 7,8 and CONCORD 9 have provided survival estimates, indicating better survival probability in Central and Northern Europe compared to Eastern Europe. 7 Cancer survival seems to increase in all regions, with higher increases in regions that had previously lower survival probabilities.…”

“…3 In the same period, stable or decreasing mortality rates were observed for these cancers, except for lung cancer in women. 3 This is also seen in other countries. [3][4][5][6] Large international studies such as EUROCARE 7,8 and CONCORD 9 have provided survival estimates, indicating better survival probability in Central and Northern Europe compared to Eastern Europe.…”

Trends in the Incidence Rates of Breast and Gynecological Cancers in Asia from 1998–2012: An Ecological Study

“…16 Also, an overall increasing trend in the incidence of breast cancer was shown in Zurich, Switzerland between 1981 and 2017. 17 A trend analysis of the global incidence of breast cancer showed a rapidly rising incidence in a large number of countries including Asian countries, especially those with rapid economic development in the past several decades. 18 However, between 1971 and 2015 in Canada, breast cancer incidence had an increasing trend among women under the age of 40 since 2000, and a stable trend for women under 50 years.…”

Breast cancer and occupation: Non-parametric and parametric net survival analyses among Swiss women (1990–2014)

“…Since 2003-2007, BC incidence started to decline in most high income countries, including Switzerland (3). Nevertheless, in younger women, an increasing trend was recently reported in Switzerland and some other European countries (4)(5)(6)(7).…”