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Gallbladder cancer death rates on the rise in high-income countries
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While rates of death from gallbladder and other biliary tract cancers are declining in most countries worldwide, several high-income nations are experiencing an increase after years of lower rates, according to research published in Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology.
Lindsey A. Torre, MSPH, senior epidemiologist at the American Cancer Society, and colleagues analyzed information from the World Health Organization’s Cancer Mortality Database and found there is a large variation in gallbladder and other biliary tract (GOB) cancer death rates worldwide, with the highest rates in South America, Eastern Asia and Eastern Europe.
“Rates have recently stabilized or even begun to increase in a few countries, possibly reflecting increases in excess body weight prevalence,” Torre told Healio Gastroenterology and Liver Disease.
Torre and colleague compiled cross-sectional rates of mortality from 2009 to 2013 from 50 countries, as well as trends over time from 1985 to 2014 using joinpoint regression analysis of data from 45 countries.
They found that death rates among women ranged from a low of 0.8 deaths per 100,000 in South Africa to a high of 21.2 deaths per 100,000 in Chile. Among men, death rates ranged from 0.6 deaths per 100,000 in the United Kingdom and Ireland to 9.9 deaths per 100,000 in Chile.
The researchers identified significant decreases in the mortality rate for women in 36 of the 45 countries, as well as 23 of 39 countries among men.
Countries with the highest death rates experienced decreases of 2% to 3% or more annually, according to the study. Torre said the reasons for the decline are unclear, but they might include cholecystectomy or statin use.
Despite observing this positive trend in most of the countries they analyzed, Torre and colleagues also found that death rates for GOB cancers are stable in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Mexico and the United States among women, as well as in the U.K., Hong Kong, Belgium, Mexico and the U.S. among men. Additionally, they found rates are increasing in the U.K. and the Netherlands among women and in Germany among men.
The researchers noted that further studies are needed to explore age-specific trends in cholecystectomy and lag time, as well as the underlying risk factors that contribute to the divergent trends in mortality.
“Hopefully descriptive studies such as this will provide information that will contribute to further research and understanding of this highly fatal disease,” Torre said. – by Alex Young
Disclosures: The authors reported no relevant financial disclosures.
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