Background: Malignant neoplasms are a leading cause of death among older adults, and population ageing is expected to further increase the cancer burden. Analysing long-term mortality trends is essential for evaluating the effectiveness of cancer prevention and oncological care. The aim of the study was to analyse long-term trends in mortality from malignant neoplasms among adults aged 65 years and older in Poland between 2000 and 2022. Methods: This nationwide population-based study analysed all deaths due to malignant neoplasms among Polish residents aged ≥65 years between 2000 and 2022 using national mortality data from Statistics Poland. Mortality trends were assessed separately for women and men in early (65–74 years) and late (≥75 years) old age. Standardised death rates (SDRs) were calculated using the European Standard Population. Joinpoint regression was applied to estimate annual (APC) and average annual percentage changes (AAPC). Results: Overall cancer mortality declined steadily among men in both age groups, while trends among women were heterogeneous. In men aged 65–74 years, SDRs decreased from 1140.1 to 1006.0 per 100,000 (AAPC = −1.7%), largely driven by declining lung cancer mortality (AAPC = −2.6%); similar patterns were observed in men aged ≥75 years. Among women aged 65–74 years, overall cancer mortality declined modestly (AAPC = −0.4%), but lung cancer mortality increased markedly, with SDRs nearly doubling between 2000 and 2022 (AAPC = 3.5%). Conclusions: Sustained declines among men contrast with less favourable trends among women, particularly for smoking-related cancers, highlighting the need for targeted prevention, screening, and age-adapted oncological care.
Burzyńska et al. (2026) studied this question.