Age-period-cohort analysis of breast cancer mortality rates in Andalucia (Spain).
BACKGROUND
The aim of this paper is to analyse breast cancer mortality in Andalucia (Spain) between 1975 and 1999 based on age-period-cohort.


METHODS
Mortality data were obtained from the Mortality Registry of Andalucia. Deaths and population were divided into 13 age groups and five 5-year periods. From this, age-specific mortality rates for 17 birth cohorts were computed. These were plotted and fitted to Poisson regression models to assess age, period and cohort effects.


RESULTS
The best fit was found for the complete model, which simultaneously considered the effects of age-period-cohort. Cohort effects were found to be more important than period effects in terms of model fit.


CONCLUSIONS
These effects were manifest as a seemingly consistent increase in the relative risk of breast cancer mortality with a three-fold increase in women born in the 1950s relative to those born in the 1890s.
Cayuela
A
A
Supportive Research Unit, Virgen del Rocío Hospital, Seville, Spain. aurelio.cayuela.sspa@juntadeandalucia.es
Rodríguez-Domínguez
S
S
Ruiz-Borrego
M
M
Gili
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013030:Spain; D015996:Survival Rate