Incidence and mortality trends for biliary tract cancers in Austria

The epidemiology of biliary tract cancers (BTC) varies between geographical regions and has changed over time globally. We investigated the incidence and mortality trends of patients diagnosed with BTC over a 20-year period in Austria.

Patients diagnosed with intrahepatic (iCCC)/extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (eCCC), ampullary carcinoma, gall bladder carcinoma (GBC), overlapping lesions or unspecified carcinomas of the biliary tract and liver were included. Data on age-adjusted incidence were obtained from the Austrian National Cancer Registry which compiles data on all newly diagnosed cancers. Data on age-adjusted mortality were obtained from the national death registry (Statistics Austria).

Between 1990 and 2009, 15201 patients were diagnosed with BTC (m/f=42/58%; mean age, 73 years). The median survival of all patients with BTC was 4.8 months with a 1-/5-year survival rate of 31%/10%. In iCCC, the incidence and mortality rates increased from 1990 to 2009 in both men and women while in eCCC, the incidence and mortality rates decreased over time in both sexes. In ampullary carcinoma, the incidence slightly decreased in men and remained stable in women. The mortality rate remained stable in both sexes. In GBC, the age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates dramatically decreased in both sexes.

GBC and iCCC were the most common entities amongst BTC. While incidence and mortality rates of iCCC increased in men and women over time, incidence and mortality rates of eCCC and GBC decreased in both sexes. Other carcinomas of the biliary tract i.e. ampullary carcinoma were rarely diagnosed.