title: Trends of mortality rates from gastric cancer and colorectal cancer in Romania, 1955-2003.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Steady and persisting falls in gastric cancer (GC) mortality rates have been observed worldwide in the last 50 years, and in Romania too. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is presently the most frequent digestive neoplasia in the Western countries. An increase of CRC incidence and mortality rates has been reported recently in Eastern European countries, including Romania.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mortality data from GC and CRC, derived from population based mortality statistics, have been available on a national scale for 1955-2003. The data were identified from the statistics of the Ministry of Health (Bucharest, Romania) and of IARC/OMS (Lyon, France). GC and CRC mortality rates global and/or per gender were registered by time intervals. After 1995, only data on general mortality rates were available.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 1955-59 and 1990-92, GC mortality rates/100,000 decreased from 33.14 to 17.70 in males and from 18.77 to 7.00 in females. Between 1995 and 2003, general mortality rates/100,000 from GC remained stable (17.54 and 17.74, respectively). Between 1955-59 and 1990-92, CRC mortality rates/100,000/gender increased from 4.65 to 10.10 in males and from 4.57 to 7.40 in females. Between 1995 and 2003, CRC general mortality rates/100 000 increased from 14.90 to 19.20.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our study reports opposite trends in GC and CRC mortality rates in the period under study, with GC declining and CRC increasing. A male predominance was registered in both neoplasms under study, more obvious in GC (male/female ratio: 2-3/1) than in CRC (male/female ratio: 1.5/1).
authors.affiliation: 1st Medical Clinic, Iuliu Hatieganu University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Str. Clinicilor 3-5, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valean
authors.forename: Petru A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Mircea
authors.forename: Lavinia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Oprea
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Frentiu
authors.forename: Georgeta
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Popescu
authors.forename: Georgiana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nagy
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vlaicu
authors.forename: Oana
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Damian
mesh_terms: D015331:Cohort Studies; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D012383:Romania / Q000453:epidemiology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality*