Recent trends in cancer mortality in the Slovak Republic and in Europe.
During the last 30 years the trends in cancer mortality in Europe significantly changed. In 1970 the male and female cancer mortality (all ages) was higher in the Western Europe than in the "socialist" Central and Eastern Europe. After 1970 in most Western countries decrease or no change of male premature (0-64 years) cancer mortality was observed. The decrease was deepest in Finland and in United Kingdom. In the most of the former communist countries an increase of both total and premature male cancer mortality was observed, especially in Hungary, Poland, Roumania, Bulgaria and in some regions of the former Soviet Union. Present male premature cancer mortality in Hungary is two-times higher than the average of European Union. Male cancer mortality in the Slovak Republic is at least two-times higher than in United Kingdom, Switzerland or Sweden. These differences are partially explainable by the higher prevalence of smoking in the East. The further risk factor could be oxidative stress, caused by low intake of antioxidants and high intake of spirits. In female populations, the differences between East and West are not so dramatic, with the exception of extremely high mortality in Hungarian females. Parallel increase of female lung cancer mortality both in the West and East is caused probably by the continually increasing smoking prevalence in females almost in the whole Europe. Further local risk factors in Eastern Europe (e.g. pollution) need to be identified with more specificity for preventive programs in Eastern Europe. This region is a prospective area for the research on lesser known cancer risk factors, e.g., chronic deficiency of antioxidants, natural anticarcinogens and psychosocial disorders.
Ginter
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Institute of Preventive and Clinical Medicine, Bratislava, Slovak Republic. ginter@upkm.sk
D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D012737:Sex Factors; D018154:Slovakia / Q000453:epidemiology