Oesophageal cancer in The Netherlands: increasing incidence and mortality but improving survival.
OBJECTIVE
Oesophageal cancer is highly lethal with a 5-year relative survival of 10-15%. An increasing incidence has been reported for several parts of the Western world. We studied time trends in incidence, mortality and survival for oesophageal cancer in the Netherlands during 1989-2003.


METHODS
Data on incidence and survival were obtained from the Netherlands Cancer Registry and mortality data from Statistics Netherlands.


RESULTS
The age standardised incidence increased by 3.4% (p<0.001) and 1.9% (p=0.003) per year for males and females, respectively. This increase was almost exclusively caused by oesophageal adenocarcinomas. Age standardised mortality increased 2.5% (p<0.001) per year among males and 1.7% (p=0.002) per year among females. Relative survival improved significantly from 8.1% in 1989-1993 to 12.6% in 1999-2003 (p<0.001). Adjusted for age, stage, tumour location and surgery, the excess risk of death decreased by 22%.


CONCLUSIONS
Oesophageal carcinoma incidence is rising in the Netherlands. Mortality increased at a slightly lower pace due to improving survival.
Crane
Lucia M A
LM
Department of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 30.001, 9700 RB, Groningen, The Netherlands.
Schaapveld
Michael
M
Visser
Otto
O
Louwman
Marieke W J
MW
Plukker
John T M
JT
van Dam
Gooitzen M
GM
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000401:mortality*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality / Q000639:trends; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D017678:Sex Distribution; D016019:Survival Analysis