Cholangiocarcinoma and Occupational Exposure to Asbestos: Insights From the Italian Pooled Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies supported the association between occupational exposure to asbestos and risk of cholangiocarcinoma (CC). Aim of the present study is to investigate this association using an update of mortality data from the Italian pooled asbestos cohort study and to test record linkage to Cancer Registries to distinguish between hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic/extrahepatic forms of CC. METHODS: The update of a large cohort study pooling 52 Italian industrial cohorts of workers formerly exposed to asbestos was carried out. Causes of death were coded according to ICD. Linkage was carried out for those subjects who died for liver or bile duct cancer with data on histological subtype provided by Cancer Registries. RESULTS: 47 cohorts took part in the study (57,227 subjects). We identified 639 causes of death for liver and bile duct cancer in the 44 cohorts covered by Cancer Registry. Of these 639, 240 cases were linked to Cancer Registry, namely 14 CC, 83 HCC, 117 cases with unspecified histology, 25 other carcinomas, and one case of cirrhosis (likely precancerous condition). Of the 14 CC, 12 occurred in 2010-2019, two in 2000-2009, and none before 2000. CONCLUSION: Further studies are needed to explore the association between occupational exposure to asbestos and CC. Record linkage was hampered due to incomplete coverage of the study areas and periods by Cancer Registries. The identification of CC among unspecific histology cases is fundamental to establish more effective and targeted liver cancer screening strategies.

[BRIC-59 study: first results and considerations on the pathway on the access to health care for malignant pleural mesotheliomas]. / Studio BRIC-59: primi risultati e riflessioni sul percorso sanitario dell'accesso alle cure per mesotelioma maligno pleurico.

OBJECTIVES: to define the most frequent health pathways of cases affected by malignant pleural mesothelioma according to those suggested and evaluated by the most recent specific guidelines. DESIGN: epidemiological descriptive study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 100 cases histologically or cytologically well defined during 2015-2017 are extracted from the archive of two Regional Mesothelioma Registries: in Tuscany Region (Central Italy) they are randomly extracted, while in Lombardy Region (Northern Italy) cases treated by a highly-specialized health centre are collected. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: frequency of the diagnostic and therapeutic procedures; development and application of the checklist with evaluation of the duration of some phases of the predefined pathway. RESULTS: all hospital medical records were collected only for 34 cases in Tuscany and 20 cases in Lombardy. The health examinations were supplied according to each case's health condition and it was not possible to define one or more structured and standardized pathways. The pre-diagnostic phase has a variable duration according to the initial health condition of the patient, also for his/her comorbidity, and to the hospital where he/she was hospitalized at first. The examinations in outpatient services (medical examinations, blood chemistry tests and radiological examinations) are several, but they are specially requested during the pre-diagnostic phase and during the period of chemotherapy. The checklist applied to a subset of Tuscan cases shows a large variation of the length of the pre-diagnostic phase (6-330 days), of the time interval between diagnosis and reporting to mesothelioma registry (1-200 days), and of the survival time (8 days - alive at 31.12.2019). CONCLUSIONS: to obtain the best health pathways for malignant pleural mesotheliomas, it is necessary a strong network among the health regional services with a clinical multiprofessional coordination located in hospitals characterized by a long experience on these cases, and with an active regional monitoring on all clinical, psychological, epidemiological, and legal aspects of the pathway. The regional mesothelioma registries could give a high contribution thanks to their epidemiological skills which are necessary for the monitoring.

[Causes of death of Tuscan centenarians]. / Le cause di morte dei centenari toscani.

INTRODUCTION: in Italy and Tuscany the resident population aged> 99 reached its all-time high in 2015. Respiratory diseases in men and ischemic heart diseases in women were the leading causes of death for Italian centenarians in 2015. The aim of this study is to describe the mortality of Tuscan centenarians by cause. MATERIALS AND METHODS: population-based observational study using current health data, extracted from the Tuscan Regional Mortality Register. Main outcome measures are: proportional mortality and annual mortality trend at age >99, age-specific mortality rates (85-89; 90-94; 95-99, >99). RESULTS: at age >99 ischemic heart diseases, cerebrovascular diseases and respiratory diseases are among the top 5 causes of death as in the less elderly age, the relative frequency of tumors decreases and that of the ill-defined causes increases. If ill-defined and ischemic heart diseases are separated, the first cause of death is cerebrovascular diseases in males and senility in females. In the period 2002-2015 at age >99 all-cause mortality fell on average every year by -0.15% for males and -0.14% for females, mortality due to arteriosclerosis decreases -10% (males) and -12% (females) every year, due to cardiac arrest and other non-specific cardiopathies -5% (males) and -7% (females) and due to cerebrovascular diseases -3% (females). Mortality due to senility increases +6% per year in women. CONCLUSIONS: in Tuscany the first cause of death is different by gender (cerebrovascular diseases in males and senility in females) and differs from what has been observed nationally. In the 2000s, mortality from cardiovascular diseases without diagnostic significance decreased in Tuscan centenarians and that from senility increased.

The decomposition of gain in life expectancy in Tuscany Region (Central Italy) for age-group and cause of death.

BACKGROUND: changing of life expectancy at birth (LE) over time is an important indicator of welfare and healthcare infrastructure of a Country. OBJECTIVES: to evaluate the impact of age and cause-specific mortality on the change in LE in the Tuscany Region (Central Italy). DESIGN: the decomposition of LE gain was realized with Pollard's method, using Epidat software. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: mortality data relative to residents that died during the period 1987-2015 were provided by the Tuscan Regional Mortality Registry. The analyzed causes of death were cardiovascular (CVS), respiratory (RESP), infective (INF) diseases and cancer (TUM). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: changing of LE expressed in years in relation to cause and age-specific mortality. RESULTS: the overall LE gain was 6.5 years for males and 4.3 years for females, the major gain was observed in the age groups 65-89 years (for females 75-89 years) and <1 year. The highest gain (2.6 years) was attributable to the reduction of mortality for CVS, followed by TUM (males: 1.42 vs females: 0.83) and RESP (males: 0.4 vs females: 0.1). The causes responsible for the loss of LE were INF (females: -0.16 vs males: -0.07) and lung cancer in females (-0.13). CONCLUSIONS: the prompt treatment of acute CVS events and prevention (both primary and secondary) are responsible for the gain in LE. The reduction of mortality for TUM can be attributed to the evolution of diagnostic-therapeutic possibilities, but also to the implementation of the cancer screening programmes. Lung cancer was responsible for the loss of LE in Tuscan females; the targeted anti-smoke campaigns should, therefore, be intensified. The INF comported the loss of LE; explainable by diffusion of multi-drug resistant bacteria. The programmes of Hospital Infection Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship should be potentiated to contain the phenomenon.

Mortality trend for multiple sclerosis in Italy during the period 1980-2015.

BACKGROUND: The epidemiology of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is relevant for health-services planning. Most of MS prevalence and incidence studies in Italy referred to specific geographical areas and periods, whereas mortality data are routinely collected at the national level. The aim was to assess MS mortality trend and geographical differences in Italy from 1980 to 2015. METHODS: Mortality data were provided by the Italian Institute of Statistics. Due to a low number of annual deaths, mortality data were analysed for both the entire period under study and for sub-periods. Temporal trends were first evaluated using age-adjusted mortality rates (AMRs) comparing each sub-period with the initial one. Then, the annual percent change in mortality was estimated through the joinpoint regression model. Spatial differences between 5 main geographical areas were evaluated using standardized mortality ratios (SMRs). RESULTS: During the study period, 4,959 deaths for males and 7,434 for females were observed. The higher overall AMR was observed for females (F:0.71 vs. M: 0.56 per 100,000 persons per year). Analysing mortality by gender and geographical area, SMRs 〈 100 were observed in South Italy for both sexes, and in Central Italy for males only, whereas SMRs 〉 100 for Islands for both sexes, and in North-East and North-West for females only. The analysis of the mortality trend through AMRs calculated for sub-periods revealed no difference between the first and the last period for males, whereas a significant increase in mortality was observed for females. The joinpoint regression analysis showed a significant decrease in mortality up to 1995 for males (APC -3.23%) and up to 1999 for females, (APC -1.01%), followed by a significant increase for both sexes, but more marked for females (APC +1.9% M, +2.34% F). CONCLUSION: The increasing trend of mortality for MS, especially for females, may reflect the increase in the prevalence of MS and the improvement in the quality of diagnosis or coding of the cause of death.

[Deaths from noncommunicable diseases attributable to behavioral risk factors in Italy and Italian regions, 2016]. / Decessi per patologie non trasmissibili attribuibili a stili di vita in Italia e nelle regioni italiane nel 2016.

OBJECTIVES: to estimate the number of deaths from noncommunicable chronic diseases (NCD) attributable to behavioural risk factors (tobacco smoking, unhealthy nutrition, physical inactivity, overweight, and excessive alcohol use) in 2016 for Italy and for the Italian regions. DESIGN: descriptive study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: mortality data were obtained by the Italian National Institute of Statistics. Causes of deaths from NCD associated with the five RFs were selected. Italian attributable fractions were obtained by the 2016 estimates of the Global Burden of Disease Study and applied to the mortality data. Regional prevalence of risk factors was obtained by the national surveillance system PASSI for the years 2013-2016. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: absolute number of attributable deaths, joint attributable fraction, proportion of total deaths attributable to RFs (MAprop). RESULTS: about 191,000 out of 614,307 deaths occurred in Italy in 2016 were attributable to combined RFs (about 37% in males; 26% in women). Joint MAprop was between 33% in men (24% in women) from Val d'Aosta and 40% in men (31% in women) from Campania. In Italy, 17% and 6% of the total amount of deaths were attributable to smoking in men and women, respectively; 6% and 3% to alcohol abuse; 7% and 8% to overweight; 13% and 12% to dietary RFs, and 2% and 3% to low physical activity. The higher proportion of attributable deaths by age-group was recorded in people aged 40-59 years (43% in men; 28% in women). Regional differences in attributable deaths are confirmed by regional RF prevalence recorded by the PASSI surveillance system for the years 2013-2016. CONCLUSIONS: these are the first estimates of the number of deaths due to NCDs attributable to behavioural RFs estimated for each region and for Italy as a whole. Effective primary prevention policies should be reinforced, since these RFs are potentially modifiable.

[Mortality of immigrants in Tuscany Region (Central Italy), 1997-2013]. / Mortalità della popolazione immigrata in Toscana dal 1997 al 2013.

OBJECTIVES: to evaluate mortality in immigrants dwelling in Tuscany Region (Central Italy) compared to mortality data relating to the Italian population residing in the same region. DESIGN: cross-sectional descriptive mortality study relying on a unique data source, i.e., the Regional Mortality Registry of Tuscany, for the period 1997-2013. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: in the analysis, immigrants residing in Tuscany were included; Italian residing in the same region were the comparison population. Immigrants were divided into two categories: immigrants from Countries at High Migration Rates (CHMRs) and immigrants from Developed Countries (DCs). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: proportional general and cause-specific mortality by age and gender for the period 1997-2013; trends of standardized truncated (age 20-64) mortality rates for the Italian population, and for immigrants from CHMRs and from DCs for the period 2002-2013; standardized mortality ratios (SMRs) in people from CHMRs with confidence interval at 95% (95%CI) for all causes and cause-specific mortality. RESULTS: during 1997-2013, 4,681 deaths were recorded among immigrants, 3,005 of which were in immigrants from a CHMR. Both cause-specific and general mortality trends in Italians and in immigrants from DCs are lowering, while general mortality of immigrants from CHMRs seems to have risen in the last 5 years. Mortality of people from CHMRs for all causes, cardiovascular causes, and cancer is permanently lower than Italian population's mortality in the examined period, but the gap seems to progressively reduce. On the other hand, child mortality among immigrants from CHMRs, despite a declining trend, is consistently higher than Italian population's mortality. Following the SMR analysis, the only exceeding cause of mortality in people from CHMRs - compared to the Italian population - is homicide among men (SMR: 3.46; 95%CI 1.55-5.59). CONCLUSIONS: this study updates our knowledge on immigrants' mortality - and, indirectly, on their health status - in Tuscany. The gap between mortality of Italians and immigrants from CHMRs is reducing: this could be partially explained by a successful ongoing integration process. For future analyses, it would be important to obtain more complete data relative to non-resident immigrants' mortality, as their number is constantly increasing.

Place of death of children with complex chronic conditions: cross-national study of 11 countries.

Cross-national understanding of place of death is crucial for health service systems for their provision of efficient and equal access to paediatric palliative care. The objectives of this population-level study were to examine where children with complex chronic conditions (CCC) die and to investigate associations between places of death and sex, cause of death and country. The study used death certificate data of all deceased 1- to 17-year-old children (n = 40,624) who died in 2008, in 11 European and non-European countries. Multivariable logistic regression was performed to determine associations between place of death and other factors. Between 24.4 and 75.3% of all children 1-17 years in the countries died of CCC. Of these, between 6.7 and 42.4% died at home. In Belgium and the USA, all deaths caused by CCC other than malignancies were less likely to occur at home, whereas in Mexico and South Korea, deaths caused by neuromuscular diseases were more likely to occur at home than malignancies. In Mexico (OR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.83-1.00) and Sweden (OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.15-0.83), girls had a significantly lower chance of dying at home than boys. CONCLUSION: This study shows large cross-national variations in place of death. These variations may relate to health system-related infrastructures and policies, and differences in cultural values related to place of death, although this needs further investigation. The patterns found in this study can inform the development of paediatric palliative care programs internationally. What is known: • There is a scarcity of population-level studies investigating where children with CCC die in different countries. • Cross-national understanding of place of death provides information to health care systems for providing efficient and equal access to paediatric palliative care. What is new : • There are large cross-national variations in the place of death of children with CCC, with few deathsoccuring at home in some countries whereas hospital deaths are generally most common. • In general, deaths caused by neuromuscular diseases and malignancies occur at home more often thanother CCC.

[Avoidable mortality in Tuscany Region (Central Italy) from 1987 to 2008]. / La mortalità evitabile in Toscana dal 1987 al 2008.

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the impact of avoidable mortality (AM) on the changes in life expectancy at birth (LE) in Tuscany Region (Central Italy) in two periods (1987-1989 and 2006-2008). SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: a list of AM causes previously published was used. The AM were divided into two groups: AM by Health Policy Interventions (HPI), AM by Health System Interventions (HSI). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: years of potential life lost (PYLLs), rates of PYLL standardized on the European population (TSPYLLs), and LE were examined. RESULTS: in 2006-2008, LE increased with a gain of 5.2 in men and 3.8 in women in comparison to 1987-1989 LE (respectively 79 and 84,9 years). If AM did not have occurred, LE would have further increased of 2 years in men and 1.5 in women. AM recorded a 39% decrease: from 25.3% of overall mortality in men in 1987-1989 to 16.1% in 2006-2008; in women from 14.3% to 8.4%. Injury/poisoning and lung cancer are the most frequent IPP. The only increasing AM is lung cancer in women. Disentangling LE increases by group of causes, 25% of the increases in 2006- 2008, compared to 1987-1989, was attributable to HSI reduction, and 4% in women and 16% in men to HPI reduction. CONCLUSIONS: AM recorded a 39% decrease from 1987-1989 to 2006-2008 in Tuscany. In 2006-2008, about one third of LE increase in women and 2/5 in men was attributable to AM decrease, while 2/3 in women and 3/5 in men to increased survival in eldest people.

Is cancer overtaking cardiovascular diseases as the killer number one in men in Tuscany?

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: For the first time in 2006, cancer became the main cause of death in men in Italy, exceeding cardiovascular disease. The aim of the study was to verify whether the overtaking of cancer male mortality occurred also in Tuscany or in some of its 12 subregional areas and whether there was a geographical trend. METHODS: Age-standardized mortality rates from the Tuscan Regional Mortality Registry, 1987-2008, were calculated for neoplasms, cardiovascular diseases, and respiratory diseases, considering the whole region and its 12 areas. Joinpoint analyses were carried out to study temporal trend. RESULTS: Up to 2008, the number of male deaths for neoplasms (6786) in Tuscany did not exceed deaths from cardiovascular disease (7065). Instead, overtaking occurred in some subregional areas from 2004 onwards. When we compared age-standardized mortality rates, cancer became the first cause of death in Tuscany from 2004 onwards (age-standardized mortality rates for cancer 236.5 per 100,000; for cardiovascular disease 227.8 per 100,000). Age-standardized mortality rates for cardiovascular disease recorded an annual 2.4% decrease until 1998, then a 3.5% decrease. Age-standardized mortality rates for all cancers recorded an annual 1.6% decrease in the whole period. CONCLUSIONS: Our study confirmed a geographical trend in cancer overtaking as the main cause of death in males: from the more urbanized areas in northern Tuscany, where the phenomenon occurred earlier, to the southern part.

Sinonasal carcinomas: recent advances in molecular and phenotypic characterization and their clinical implications.

Sinonasal carcinomas are rare tumors with an aggressive clinical behaviour which frequently pose a number of problems regarding the interpretation of diagnostic findings and the treatment. In addition, in comparison with other malignancies of the head and neck region, an elevated fraction of sinonasal carcinomas can be attributed to occupational exposure. This review is focused on the recent advances in the molecular and phenotypic characterization of sinonasal carcinomas, and their possible implications for the interpretation of epidemiological data, as well as for the diagnosis and treatment of these rare malignancies. The increasing knowledge on their phenotypic and genotypic features is progressively leading to a refinement in diagnosis, especially for poorly differentiated and undifferentiated lesions, as well as to the identification of markers which can be potentially useful to identify the early phases of carcinogenesis, to detect subclinical disease, to predict the response to therapy, and finally, that may represent potential targets for alternative treatments.

Lung cancer mortality trend by birth cohort in men, Tuscany, 1971-2006.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: In Tuscany, lung cancer mortality in men has shown a decreasing geographical trend over the last 3 decades from the most industrialized north-western coastal areas (Massa-Carrara, Viareggio) to the south-eastern areas (Arezzo, Siena), following the path of the development of industrial activities. The aim of the study was to evaluate lung cancer mortality in males by birth cohort in order to verify whether there was also a decreasing birth cohort trend in male lung cancer mortality rates between north-western and south-eastern Tuscan areas. METHODS: Lung cancer deaths that occurred in men resident in Tuscany, 1971-2006, were analyzed by birth cohort, age group and local health authority area. RESULTS: Rates in men >65 years were significantly higher in Viareggio and Massa-Carrara than in the south-eastern areas for all generations, in particular for men born in 1896-1926. Rates for men aged 55-64 years were higher in Massa-Carrara and Viareggio than in south-eastern areas for men born before 1926, whereas for younger generations the rates leveled off. For men aged 45-54 years, rates were similar in all areas only for younger generations (men born around 1951 and 1956), whereas for men aged 35-44 years, rates were similar in all areas for all generations considered. CONCLUSIONS: The higher lung cancer mortality rates in men aged >65 years and born in 1896-1926 in the north-western areas than in those born in the south-eastern areas may indicate that the tobacco epidemic spread earlier in the north-western areas of Tuscany, following the path of industrialization. However, the higher mortality rates in north-western than in south-eastern areas are at least in part attributable to the high occupational risks for lung cancer experienced by workers in these areas during the first half of 20th century.

Exposure to benzene and risk of breast cancer among shoe factory workers in Italy.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: Evidence of the association between leukemia and benzene exposure has been provided by several epidemiological studies. An increased risk of breast cancer among women exposed to benzene has also been suggested. The aim of this study was to analyze breast cancer risk in a cohort of 1,002 women exposed to benzene in a shoe factory in Florence, Italy, where an excess of leukemia in men was reported. METHODS: The cohort of women at work on January 1st, 1950, was followed from 1950 to 2003 for mortality and from 1985 to 2000 for incidence of breast cancer. For a sub-cohort of 797 women, cumulative exposure to benzene was available. RESULTS: Standardized mortality ratios were obtained for the 797 women for whom information on cumulative exposure was available. For those with < 30 years of latency the standardized mortality ratio was 58.5 (95% CI, 18.9-181.2, based on 3 deaths) and 151.1 (95% CI, 78.6-290.3, based on 9 deaths) for > or = 30 years of latency. In the > 40 ppm-year and > or = 30 year latency period category, the standardized mortality ratio was 166.0 (95% CI, 62.3-442.2, based on 4 deaths). The standardized incidence ratio for women with a latency period < 30 years was 140.9 (95% CI, 75.8-261.9, based on 10 cases) and 108.2 (95% CI, 64.1-182.7) for a latency period > or = 30 years. For cumulative exposure > 40 ppm-years and a latency period < 30 years, the standardized incidence ratio was 211.9 (95% CI, 29.9-1504.1, based on 1 case). CONCLUSIONS: The study moderately supports the hypothesis that benzene represents a risk factor for breast cancer.

Misclassification of breast cancer as cause of death in a service screening area.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the misclassification of cause of death for breast cancer cases, and to evaluate the differential misclassification between cases detected in an organized screening program and cases found in current clinical practice. METHODS: All deaths occurring between 1999 and 2002 within breast cancer cases were linked to hospital discharge records. Death certificates and latest available hospital discharge notes were classified into various categories. We created a classification algorithm defining which combinations of categories (of death certificates and hospital discharge notes) suggested the probability of misclassification and the need for an in-depth diagnostic review. Questionable cases were reviewed by a team of experts in order to reach a consensus on cause of death. Based on our algorithmic classification and diagnostic review results, the agreement between original cause of death and that resulting from the assessment process was analyzed stratifying for every variable of interest. RESULTS: According to death certificates, breast cancer was the cause of death in 66.9% of subjects, and after assessment this figure changed to 65.7%. The misclassification rate was 4.3% and did not differ significantly between screen-detected (4.7%) and non-screen-detected (4.3%) cases. Higher misclassification rates in favor of false positivity (cause of death wrongly attributed to breast cancer in death certificates) was observed for subjects with multiple cancers (6.5% vs. 1.9%), with no admission in the year before death (4.6% vs. 2.4%) and with an unknown cancer stage (4.9% vs 2.4% or 2.3%). CONCLUSIONS: The cause of death misclassification rate is modest, causing a slight overestimate of deaths attributed to breast cancer, and is not affected by modality of diagnosis. The study confirmed the validity of using cause-specific mortality for service screening evaluation.

Gastric cancer mortality trends in Tuscany, Italy, 1971-2004.

UNLABELLED: AIMS, BACKGROUND, AND METHODS: In Tuscany, Italy, gastric cancer mortality has been decreasing since 1950, although with relevant geographical variability across the region. In Eastern Tuscan areas close to the mountains (high risk areas), gastric cancer mortality has been and is still significantly higher than that recorded in Western coastal areas and in the city of Florence (low risk areas). High-risk areas also showed higher Helicobacter pylori seroprevalence. Aim of this paper is to study gastric cancer mortality trends in high and low-risk areas, during the period 1971-2004, using age-period-cohort models. RESULTS: In high-risk areas, gastric cancer mortality rates declined from 61.4 per 100,000 in 1971-74 to 19.8 in 2000-2004 and in low-risk areas from 34.9 to 9.8. Mortality decline in high-risk areas was mainly attributable to a birth cohort effect, whereas in low-risk areas it was due either to a birth cohort effect or a period effect. In low- and high-risk areas, birth-cohort risks of dying decreased over subsequent generations, except for the birth cohorts born around the second world war. CONCLUSIONS: Gastric cancer mortality in areas with higher H. pylori seroprevalence in Tuscany (high-risk areas) showed a predominant decline by birth cohort, in particular for younger generations, possibly due to the decrease of the infection for improvement of living conditions.

The melanoma epidemic debate: some evidence for a real phenomenon from Tuscany, Italy.

Our objective was to evaluate whether or not recent mortality data for the region of Tuscany confirm the hypothesis that an epidemic in the incidence of melanoma is an apparent phenomenon reflecting an overdiagnosis of indolent cases. We considered 1755 melanoma deaths in Tuscany in the period 1987-2003, and 2644 incidence cases of melanoma diagnosed in 1985-2003 in a subset of the same population. We calculated annual mortality and incidence trends using the National Cancer Institute's Joinpoint Program (version 2.6). We observed an increasing mortality from melanoma from 1987 to 2003 in both sexes, but mainly in women (estimated annual percentage changes=2.25; P<0.05). We also observed a statistically significant rise in melanoma incidence in both sexes, mainly of thin lesions. Furthermore, we observed an increase in thick lesions, especially in females (estimated annual percentage changes=2.9; P<0.05), and for lesions without Breslow definition. In conclusion, the rise in melanoma mortality and incidence, especially of thick lesions, suggests that the observed growth in melanoma incidence is not wholly apparent.

[Mortality among the elderly in Tuscany in the period 1987-2003]. / La mortalità in età anziana in Toscana nel periodo 1987-2003.

AIM: to assess cause-specific mortality and its temporal trend in Tuscan elderly residents. DESIGN: descriptive epidemiologic study based upon death certificates, collected and registered since 1987 by the Tuscan Regional Mortality Registry (RMR) according to standardized procedures. METHODS: Major groups of causes: temporal trends are described calculating annual truncated age-adjusted mortality rates (based on age-specfic rates subdivided in three classes: 75-79; 80-84 and > or =85; standard: European population) and estimating annual percent changes (EAPC, Estimated Annual Percent Change) using ]oinpoint regression models. Most frequent specific causes: number of deaths and truncated age-adjusted mortality rates (based on age-specific rates subdivided in three classes: 75-79; 80-84 and > or =85; standard: European population) are compared between the first and the last quinquennium (1987-1991 and 1999-2003) by percent change. RESULTS: during 1987-2003, an average of 26667 annual deaths (65% of total) occurred in persons aged 75 and over in Tuscany. In the same period the number of elderly residents increased (2003 vs 1987: men +43.6%; women +41.5%) with a consequent increase in number of deaths (2003 vs 1987: men +13.8%; women +15.9%). The truncated age-adjusted rates for all mortality causes decreased (EAPC = -1.35% in males; EAPC = -1.41% in females) while an increase was registered for few specific causes as Alzheimer's disease, senile dementia, arterial hypertension and lung cancer. CONCLUSIONS: the decreasing mortality trend observed in persons aged 75 and over in Tuscany is consistent with similar trends in other developed countries. The opposing trends for few specific causes of death need to be further investigated.

Lung cancer mortality patterns in women resident in different urbanization areas in central Italy from 1987-2002.

AIMS AND BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to evaluate mortality lung cancer trends, as an indicator of female smoking trends, in women resident in different urbanization areas. METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN: Data on the 5782 female lung cancer deaths that occurred in Tuscany, Italy, during the period 1987-2002 were analyzed, using age-period-cohort models by areas at different urbanization levels. Trends were examined with a log-linear regression model, calculating the yearly estimated percent change. Empirical bayesian estimators of the ratios between observed and expected deaths by municipality were calculated for the most recent period and mapped. RESULTS: The age-adjusted lung cancer mortality rates increased from 1987 to 2002: estimated percentage change values were equal to 24.5% in the urban areas (P < 0.001) and 17.2% in the rural areas (P = 0.023). The age-period-cohort model analyses showed a statistically significant drift and non-linear cohort effects. The higher risk was observed for the birth cohort of women born around 1955 (RR, 5.25; 95% CI, 2.83-9.72). In the rural areas, no significant effects were observed, and the age model showed the best fit. In recent years, the risk appeared concentrated in 9 Tuscan municipalities, accounting more than 35% of the female urban population. CONCLUSIONS: The observed significant cohort effect in the age-period-cohort analyses for the urban areas reflects the social impact of living in these areas to induce smoking-related disease like lung cancer in women. The risk appeared particularly relevant in more recent and urbanized generations (women born around 1955), thereby suggesting urgent effective campaigns against smoking, gender dedicated, especially in urban areas.

Occupational injuries in Italy.

Data collected by the Italian Funds for Occupational Injuries and Diseases (INAIL) on incidence and mortality for occupational injuries in Italy during 1951-2001 are described with respect to the two main occupational sectors, Industry and Services, and Agriculture. Comparisons with other EU countries are included to place the current severe phenomenon in context. An ad hoc analysis aimed at verifying the completeness of the data on occupational fatal accidents collected by INAIL in Tuscany is reported: a linkage between the INAIL data and those registered by the Tuscan Regional Mortality Registry highlights that a number of working areas are not covered by INAIL, a problem whose solution would be useful for primary prevention.