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Mortality from hepatocellular and biliary cancers: changing epidemiological trends
Satheesh Nair1, K Shiv Kumar, Paul J Thuluvath
1Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
The American Journal of Gastroenterology
|January 26, 2002
Summary
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and biliary cancer (BC) mortality rose in Maryland over 30 years. HCC deaths doubled in men and increased significantly in white Americans, while BC deaths rose modestly overall but sharply in African Americans.
Area of Science:
- Epidemiology
- Oncology
- Public Health
Background:
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) incidence may be increasing in the US.
- Biliary cancers (BCs) encompass gallbladder and bile duct malignancies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze epidemiological trends in mortality for HCC and BCs in Maryland over three decades (1970-1997).
Main Methods:
- Utilized vital statistics data from Maryland State Department of Health & Hygiene (1970-1997).
- Grouped gallbladder, intrahepatic, and extrahepatic bile duct cancers as BCs.
- Analyzed mortality trends across seven 4-year periods.
Main Results:
- Mortality from HCC increased from 0.94 to 1.84 per 100,000 (RR=1.94), and BCs from 1.28 to 1.7 per 100,000 (RR=1.31).
- HCC mortality doubled in men and increased modestly in women.
- HCC mortality disparities between white Americans and African Americans decreased due to increased white American deaths; BC deaths rose significantly among African Americans.
Conclusions:
- Maryland experienced a marked increase in HCC deaths over three decades, particularly among men and white Americans.
- BC deaths showed a modest overall increase, but a significant rise among African Americans warrants further investigation.
- Trends suggest a growing burden of liver and biliary cancers in the studied population.