Bladder cancer mortality age-standardized rates (ASRs; using 1985 Japanese standard population) are shown for Japan, USA, UK, France and Italy (Fig. 1). ASRs for males in the USA and UK (Fig. 1) have constantly decreased since 1970. However, ASRs for males from the USA level off after 1990. Despite the decreasing trend in ASRs among males from the UK, ASR rates are still as high as those found in French and Italian males, in 2000. ASRs of bladder cancer among males in France and Italy gradually increased after 1960, and reached a peak for Italian males, or reached a plateau for French males, in the late 1980s. ASRs for bladder cancer among Japanese males are the lowest amongst these five countries. The time trends of bladder cancer among Japanese males has increased slightly since 1960. ASRs for bladder cancer for females (Fig. 1), are grouped into three groups in 2000. As with ASRs for males, ASRs for bladder cancer among Japanese females has been lowest from 1960 to 2000, compared with those of the other four study countries. Contrary to Japanese males, the time trends in ASRs among Japanese females shows a constantly decreasing trend. Although ASR for bladder cancer among females from the UK shows a decreasing trend after 1990, it is still much higher than for the other study countries. Among females in the USA, ASRs constantly decreased until 2000. French and Italian females show a similar time trend to each other, i.e. an increased ASR until around 1980 followed by a decreasing trend.
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Marugame et al. (2005) studied this question.