title: [Descriptive-epidemiological characteristics of lung cancer in Serbia].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lung cancer represents the most common malignant tumour among men, and appears more and more frequently among women in many countries worldwide. The aims of this descriptive epidemiological study were to evaluate the mortality trends of all malignant tumours and lung cancer in Central Serbia from 1990 to 1999, and to estimate the incidence, mortality and the basic demographic characteristics of lung cancer in Central Serbia in 1999.
  
  
  METHODS
  The source of data concerning cancer cases in 1999 was the Cancer Registry of Central Serbia, while data of the Republic Statistics Institute were used for the analysis of mortality trends for the period 1990-1999. All rates were standardized by the direct method, to the world standard population. Confidence intervals for mortality rates were assessed with 95% level of probability. Linear regression coefficient was determined by Fisher's test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mortality rates showed rising tendencies for both lung cancer (y = -1876.26 + 0.96x, p = 0.028 for men; y = -654.78 + 0.33x, p = 0.001 for women) and all malignant tumours (y = -4139.88 + 2.15x, p = 0.163 for men; y = -3649.68 + 1.88x, p = 0.016 for women), with statistically significant increase being observed for all trends, except all malignant tumours among men. In the year 1999, lung cancer ranked first among men and third among women, with 29.2% and 10.3% of cancer mortality respectively. The age-specific mortality rates were much higher in men in all age groups. Mortality increased with age and the highest rates were found in the age group 70-74 for both sexes. The highest incidence and mortality rates were reported in Belgrade, Moravicki and Sumadijski district.
authors.affiliation: Institut za epidemiologiju, Medicinski fakultet, Univerzitet u Beogradu.
authors.forename: Natasa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maksimović
authors.forename: Kyriakos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Spanopoulos
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015022:Yugoslavia / Q000453:epidemiology