In this series of the Cancer Statistics Digest we present a comparison of cancer mortality by country, using data from five countries from theWHO Mortality Database. The countries included are France, Italy, Japan, UK and the USA, and comparisons are made for data from 1960 to 2000 (1999 for UK). In this issue all malignant neoplasms are presented. Males in all of the countries presented have higher age-standardized rates (ASRs), using 1985 Japanese standard population, compared with females for all malignant neoplasms (Fig. 1). For males in all countries except Japan there is a decreasing trend after passing a peak between 1980 and 1990. In Japan, recent data show a decreasing trend set against an average increasing trend over the previous four decades. Japan has now overtaken the USA, and more recently the differences between other countries is getting less. For females, a constant decreasing trend is observed for Japan and France. Data for Italy, UK and the USA show a decreasing trend after a leveling trend between 1980 and 1990. For recent data, ASRs for males/females in 2000 are: 214.0/103.5 for Japan, 207.3/144.5 for the USA, 221.8/155.9 for the UK (in 1999), 253.6/117.1 for France, and 230.3/122.5 for Italy. Mortality for all malignant neoplasms: age-standardized rates for males and females – France, Italy, Japan, and USA (1960–2000); UK (1960–1999), rates per 100 000. For age-specific rates (Figs 2 and 3) similar trends as exhibited by ASRs are observed. Decreasing trend after a peak. The magnitude of decrease is smallest for the oldest age-groups. Among the 40- and 50-year age groups in Japan and France, especially for females, a leveling trend is observed. Mortality for all malignant neoplasms by age group, year of death: Males, rates per 100 000. Mortality for all malignant neoplasms by age group, year of death: Females, rates per 100 000. From the graphs by year of birth (Figs 4 and 5), there seems to be a group with a higher risk in particular birth cohorts: those born around 1930 in Japan, USA, France, and Italy, and females born just before 1930 in the UK. Mortality for all malignant neoplasms by age group, year of birth: Males, rates per 100 000. Mortality for all malignant neoplasms by age group, year of birth: Females, rates per 100 000. For younger age groups under 50 years of age (Figs 6 and 7), a steep decreasing trend is observed for those under 30 years for all countries and both genders. A drastic decrease is observed, especially among the 0–4 and 5–9 year age groups. Mortality for all malignant neoplasms by age group, year of death: Males, under 50 years of age, rates per 100 000. Mortality for all malignant neoplasms by age group, year of death: Females, under 50 years of age, rates per 100 000. For a summary measure, total number of deaths (excluding age unknown) from all malignant neoplasms in 2000 are as follows: 295 470 (male, 179 127; female, 116 343) for Japan, 553 080 (male, 286 072; female, 267 008) for the USA, 152 476 (male, 78 810; female, 73 666) for the UK (in 1999), 143 646 (male, 86 738; female, 56 908) for France, and 153 431 (male, 88 288; female, 65 143) for Italy. Note: original data was downloaded from the WHO Mortality Database (version as of Augst. 2004). The data was then tabulated by Satoshi Kaneko with 140–205 (ICD-7), 140–209 (ICD-8), 140–208 (ICD-9), and C00-C97 (ICD-10). Responsibility for this presentation and interpretation lies with the authors, not the WHO Mortality Database.
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I. Yoshimi (2005) studied this question.