Swiss Med Wkly. 2012 Aug 14;142:0. doi: 10.4414/smw.2012.13637.
Cancer, a disease of aging - part 1.
Source
Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine (ISPM) University Bern, SWITZERLAND;
Abstract
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.
...........................
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22893456
Swiss Med Wkly. 2012 Aug 14;142:0. doi: 10.4414/smw.2012.13607.
Cancer, a disease of aging - part 2.
Source
ISPM University of Bern, Switzerland; kschmidlin@ispm.unibe.ch.
Abstract
PRINCIPLES:
Cancer is disease of aging that disproportionately affects older adults and often results in considerable public health consequences. This study evaluated gender-age-specific cancer mortality risk factors in older adults in Switzerland with attention to the most common types ofcancer.
METHODS:
The population included all individuals ≥65 years old based on 1990/2000 censuses linked to mortality records through end of 2008.Cancer mortality relative risk was assessed by gender-age-specific all-cancer and cancer-specific mortality hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) from adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models.
RESULTS:
The risk profile of dying from cancer was similar in older men and women across most socio-demographic characteristics: higher cancermortality risk with lower educational attainment (all-cancer men HR = 0.84 [95%CI 0.82, 0.85] tertiary, HR = 1.09 [95%CI 1.07, 1.10] compulsory, women all-cancer HR = 0.95 [95%CI 0.92, 0.98] tertiary, HR = 1.03 [95%CI 1.02, 1.05] compulsory) and unmarried marital status. Cancer mortality risk factors varied less than hypothesised across older age-groups. However, for outcomes and characteristics with age-specific variation the oldest (≥85 years) generally showed the lower cancer mortality relative risk (except for non-Swiss lung cancer risk).
CONCLUSION:
These comprehensive epidemiological results indicate that in Switzerland (like other developed countries) age alone is not the only important cancer risk factor and risk is not necessarily the same across older age-groups; providing additional needed information about the aging-cancer nexus. However, additional studies especially with consideration of stage of disease, treatments received and comorbidity are needed.
No comments:
Post a Comment