Objective To describe and analyze the characteristics and trend of
liver cancer,through data gathered from the
Cancer Registry System,in
China.
Methods Annual registration data on
cancer incidents and deaths of 2003-2007,from 32
cancer registries were employed.Crude rates of
incidence and
mortality,and age-standardized rates by the
China population (ASRc) and the
world population (ASRw) were calculated.
Incidence and
mortality rates by age,
gender,and by area (urban or rural) were analyzed,and comparison was made internationally,based upon data from the GLOBOCAN 2008.Results The total
person-years of 2003-2007 observed from the 32
cancer registries were 255 430 909,in which 197 651 428 from the
urban areas,and 57 779 481 from the
rural areas.A total of 68 146 incident cases with
liver cancer were reported,which accounted for 10.03%(ranked second) of all the registered cases with
cancers,with the average annual
incidence as 26.68per 100 000 (39.42 in
males,13.63 in
females).ASRc and ASRw were 13.29 per 100 000 and 17.45per 100 000,respectively.
Sex ratios for
incidence and
mortality were 2.891 and 2.721,respectively.
Incidence rates were 23.91 per 100 000 in
urban areas,and 36.15 per 100 000 in
rural areas.For
mortality rates,they were 22.39 per 100 000 m
urban areas and 34.05 per 100 000 in
rural areas,respectively.Relative greater differences could be seen amongst these
registries.The
incidence rates were 10.15-33.85 per 100 000 in the
urban areas,and 11.83-78.59 per 100 000 in the
rural areas.For
mortality rates,they were 13.99-28.45 per 100 000 in
urban areas,and 11.02-71.99 per 100 000 in
rural areas.According to data from the 184
cancer registries through GLOBOCAN 2008,
liver cancer incidence in
China was ranked the 5th in
males,and 6th in
females while
mortality was ranked 2nd in
males,and 5th in
females.Conclusion
Liver cancer had been the second most leading
malignancy,following
lung cancer,with annual incidents and
death cases around 360 000 and 350 000,respectively and the figures seemed to be increasing.Nationwide
monitoring and
research programs on
liver cancer should be emphasized.