Pancreatic cancer mortality in China (1991-2000)

AIM: To describe the mortality rate of pancreatic cancer and its distribution in China during the period of 1991-2000. METHODS: Based on the data of demography and death collected through China's Disease Surveillance Point System (DSPS) over the period of 1991-2000, the distribution of death rate of pancreatic cancer was described in terms of age group, gender, calendar year, rural/urban residence and administrative district. RESULTS: A total of 1 619 death cases attributed to pancreatic cancer (975 men and 644 women) were reported by DSPS during 1991-2000. The reported, adjusted and age-standardized mortality rates increased from 1.46, 1.75, and 2.18 per 100 000 populations in 1991 to 2.38, 3.06, and 3.26 per 100 000 populations in 2000. The majority (69.62%) of the deaths of pancreatic cancer were seen in the age group of 60 years and older. The mortality rate was higher in men than in women, but the male to female death rate ratios decreased during the 10 years. Our data also showed that the death rate of pancreatic cancer in urban areas was about 2-4 fold higher than that in rural areas, and in Northeast and East China, the death rates were higher than those in the other 5 administrative districts. CONCLUSION: The death rate due to pancreatic cancer was rising during the period of 1991-2000 and the peak mortality of pancreatic cancer might arrive in China.