title: Estimates of cancer burden in Italy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper presents updated estimates of the incidence, prevalence and mortality of stomach, colorectal, lung, breast, uterine cervix and prostate cancer and skin melanoma in the Italian population. In particular, point estimates for 2012 and time trends from 1970 to 2015 will be provided.
  
  
  METHODS
  The presented figures were obtained by summing up the regional epidemiological indicator estimates presented in the other papers of this monographic issue, which were derived by applying the MIAMOD statistical back-calculation method to cancer registries survival data and official mortality rates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our findings indicate that breast, colon-rectum and prostate will be the cancer sites with the highest incidence rates in the forthcoming years. The incidence rates still tend to increase for breast, male colorectal cancer and female lung cancer as well as for skin melanoma. By contrast, the incidence of stomach cancer, cervical cancer and male lung cancer, by far the most common tumor sites up to the early 1990s, will continue to decrease. The mortality estimates showed a decreasing trend for all considered cancers with the only exception of lung cancer in women.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results point to the need to reinforce prevention activities by developing more effective preventive measures for population groups at risk. There is also a need to support timely and continuous cancer surveillance in the Italian population through cancer registries in order to monitor the spread of the cancer risk and to evaluate the impact of prevention policies and therapeutic advances.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Crocetti
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Capocaccia
authors.forename: Gemma
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gatta
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D017281:Cost of Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D015995:Prevalence; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D012042:Registries; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology; D015996:Survival Rate / Q000639:trends; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology