A comparison of trends in mortality from primary liver cancer and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in Europe

• Published in: Annals of oncology Vol. 24; no. 6; pp. 1667 - 1674
• Main Authors: Bertuccio, P., Bosetti, C., Levi, F., Decarli, A., Negri, E., La Vecchia, C.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-06-2013; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Antineoplastic agents; Australia - epidemiology; Bile Duct Neoplasms; Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic; Biological and medical sciences; cancer; cholangiocarcinoma; Cholangiocarcinoma - diagnosis; Cholangiocarcinoma - epidemiology; Cholangiocarcinoma - mortality; Europe - epidemiology; European Union; Female; Gastroenterology. Liver. Pancreas. Abdomen; hepatocellular carcinoma; Humans; intrahepatic; Japan - epidemiology; liver; Liver Neoplasms - diagnosis; Liver Neoplasms - epidemiology; Liver Neoplasms - mortality; Liver. Biliary tract. Portal circulation. Exocrine pancreas; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; mortality; Multiple tumors. Solid tumors. Tumors in childhood (general aspects); Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Survival Rate - trends; Tumors; United States - epidemiology; World Health Organization; Europe; Australia; United States; Japan; mortality; cancer; liver; cholangiocarcinoma; hepatocellular carcinoma; intrahepatic; Digestive system; Liver; Mortality; Hepatic disease; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Malignant tumor; Biliary tract disease; Liver cancer; Malignant cholangioma; Digestive diseases; Intrahepatic; Comparative study; Cancer; Primary cancer; cholangiocarcinoma, hepatocellular carcinoma
• ISSN: 0923-7534; 1569-8041
• DOI: 10.1093/annonc/mds652

To update and compare mortality from primary liver cancer (PLC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) in Europe in 1990–2010.
We used data from the World Health Organization (WHO) to compute age-standardized (world population) mortality rates, and used joinpoint analysis to identify substantial changes.
Between 2002 and 2007, PLC rates in the European Union (EU) declined from 3.9 to 3.6/100 000 men. Around 2007, the highest male rates were in France (6.2/100 000), Spain (4.9), and Italy (4.0), while the lowest ones were in Sweden (1.1), the Netherlands (1.2), and the UK (1.8). In women, mortality was lower (0.8/100 000 in 2007 in the EU), and showed more favourable trends, with a decline of over 2% per year over the last two decades as compared with 0.4% in men, in the EU. In contrast, the EU mortality from ICC increased by around 9% in both sexes from 1990 to 2008, reaching rates of 1.1/100 000 men and 0.75/100 000 women. The highest rates were in UK, Germany, and France (1.2–1.5/100 000 men, 0.8–1.1/100 000 women).
PLC mortality has become more uniform across Europe over recent years, with an overall decline; in contrast, ICC mortality has substantially increased in most Europe.