Background: Despite the increase in cancer incidence in the last years in Serbia, no nation-wide, population-based\r\ncancer epidemiology data have been reported. In this study cancer incidence and mortality rates for Serbia are\r\npresented using nation-wide data from two population-based cancer registries. These rates are additionally\r\ncompared to European and global cancer epidemiology estimates. Finally, predictions on Serbian cancer incidence\r\nand mortality rates are provided.\r\nMethods: Cancer incidence and mortality was collected from the cancer registries of Central Serbia and Vojvodina\r\nfrom 1999 to 2009. Using age-specific regression models, we estimated time trends and predictions for cancer\r\nincidence and mortality for the following five years (2010ââ?¬â??2014). The comparison of Serbian with European and\r\nglobal cancer incidence/mortality rates, adjusted to the world population (ASR-W) was performed using Serbian\r\npopulation-based data and estimates from GLOBOCAN 2008.\r\nResults: Increasing trends in both overall cancer incidence and mortality rates were identified for Serbia. In men,\r\nlung cancer showed the highest incidence (ASR-W 2009: 70.8/100,000), followed by colorectal (ASR-W 2009:\r\n39.9/100,000), prostate (ASR-W 2009: 29.1/100,000) and bladder cancer (ASR-W 2009: 16.2/100,000). Breast cancer\r\nwas the most common form of cancer in women (ASR-W 2009: 70.8/100,000) followed by cervical (ASR-W 2009:\r\n25.5/100,000), colorectal (ASR-W 2009: 21.1/100,000) and lung cancer (ASR-W 2009: 19.4/100,000). Prostate and\r\ncolorectal cancers have been significantly increasing over the last years in men, while this was also observed for\r\nbreast cancer incidence and lung cancer mortality in women. In 2008 Serbia had the highest mortality rate from\r\nbreast cancer (ASR-W 2008: 22.7/100,000), among all European countries while incidence and mortality of cervical,\r\nlung and colorectal cancer were well above European estimates.\r\nConclusion: Cancer incidence and mortality in Serbia has been generally increasing over the past years. For a\r\nnumber of cancer sites, incidence and mortality is alarmingly higher than in the majority of European regions. For\r\nthis increasing trend to be controlled, the management of risk factors that are present among the Serbian\r\npopulation is necessary. Additionally, prevention and early diagnosis are areas where significant improvements\r\ncould still be made.
Loading....