Comparison of Time Trends in Colorectal Cancer Mortality (1990-2006) in the World, from the WHO Mortality Database

Abstract

Mortality data, abstracted from the World Health Organization (WHO) database, are available for various countries. We used total cancer mortality (ICD-10: C00–C97, B21) in 11 countries during the period 1990–2006. These countries were Japan, China (Hong Kong) and the Republic of Korea (Asian countries); the United States of America (USA); Australia; the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom (UK), Italy, Spain, France and Germany (European countries). For the USA, Spain, and France, data were available only for 1990–2005; and for Australia and Italy, for 1990–2003. The world population was used for age standardization. Age-standardized rates for colorectal cancer mortality (ICD-10: C18 and C19–C21) in the 11 selected countries between 1990 and 2006 are shown for males (Figs 1 and 2) and for females (Figs 3 and 4). ... The time trends in colorectal cancer mortality rates varied between all selected countries. Colon cancer (C18) mortality rates were 1.5 times higher for males than for females. The rates declined in the time period studied in the USA, Australia, UK, France and Germany for both sexes. However, in Korea, the mortality was the lowest of the 11 countries studied, but increased rapidly in both sexes. In Spain for males, mortality increased rapidly and became the highest mortality in the recent period. For Japan, China (Hong Kong) and Italy, there was no consistent time trend in either sex, and in Spain, there was no consistent trend in females.