title: International trends in primary liver cancer incidence from 1973 to 2007.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Primary liver cancer (PLC) is a common cancer worldwide, especially in developing countries. Several previous studies using different datasets have summarized PLC incidence rates and trends in different populations. However, with changes in exposure to risk factors and the implementation of preventive measures, the epidemiology of PLC worldwide may have changed.
  
  
  METHODS
  We extended the analyses using the latest data from Cancer Incidence in Five Continents over the 35-year period 1973-2007 from 24 populations in Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania using Joinpoint regression analysis. We examined age-standardized rates (ASRs) of PLC by histologic subtypes for both males and females in 24 populations during the period 2003-2007.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that during the period 2003-2007, the highest ASRs for PLC were observed in some Asian populations, ranging from 19.0 to 26.7 per 100,000 in males and 4.8 to 8.7 per 100,000 in females. The international trends between 1973 and 2007 showed that ASRs for PLC were declining in several Asian populations. In contrast, ASRs for PLC were increasing in some European, American and Oceanian populations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the reasons were not fully clear for these trends, public health measures in Asian populations and HCV transmission in European, American and Oceanian populations were likely to have contributed to these patterns. Meanwhile, other possible risk factors such as the consumption of alcohol, obesity, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease should also be concerned for the burden of PLC.
authors: National Office for Cancer Prevention and Control, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China. zhangyue222@yeah.net.
authors: Yue
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
authors: National Office for Cancer Prevention and Control, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China. renjiansong@sina.com.
authors: Jian-Song
authors: JS
authors: Ren
authors: National Office for Cancer Prevention and Control, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China. shijf@cicams.ac.cn.
authors: Ju-Fang
authors: JF
authors: Shi
authors: National Office for Cancer Prevention and Control, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China. lini1240@hotmail.com.
authors: Ni
authors: N
authors: Li
authors: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100021, China. wyt2051@163.com.
authors: Yu-Ting
authors: YT
authors: Wang
authors: State Key Laboratory of Molecular Oncology, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100021, China. quchf@cicams.ac.cn.
authors: Chunfeng
authors: C
authors: Qu
authors: National Office for Cancer Prevention and Control, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China. yawei.zhang@yale.edu.|Yale School of Public Health, Yale School of Medicine, Yale Cancer Center, New Haven, CT, 06510, USA. yawei.zhang@yale.edu.
authors: Yawei
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
authors: National Office for Cancer Prevention and Control, Cancer Institute & Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences/Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100021, China. daiminlyon@gmail.com.
authors: Min
authors: M
authors: Dai
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D066264:Datasets as Topic; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000266:history; D008297:Male; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012737:Sex Factors