Liver Cancer Mortality Trends during the Last 30 Years in Hebei province: Comparison Results from Provincial Death Surveys Conducted in the 1970’s, 1980’s, 1990’s and 2004-2005

Abstract

Background and Aims: Liver cancer is a major health problem in low-resource countries. Approximately 55%of all liver cancer occurs in China. Hebei Province is one of the important covering nearly 6% of the populationof China. The aim of this paper was to explore liver cancer mortality trends during past 30 years, and providebasic information on prevention strategies. <br/><b>Methods</b>: Hebei was covered covered all the three national surveysduring 1973-1975, 1990-1992, and 2004-2005 and one provincial survey during 1984-1986. Subjects included allcases dying from liver cancer in Hebei Province. Liver cancer mortality trend and geographic differences acrosscities and counties were analyzed. <br/><b>Results</b>: There were 82,878 deaths in Hebei Province during 2004-2005 withan average mortality rate was 600.9/10,000, and an age-adjusted rate of 552.3/10,000. Those dying of cancerwere 18,424 cases, accounting for 22.2% of all deaths, second only to cerebrovascular disease as a cause of death.Cancer mortality was 133.6/100,000 (age-adjusted rate was 119.2/100,000). Liver cancer ranked fourth in thissurvey with a mortality rate of 21.0/100,000, 28.4/100,000 in males and 13.35/10,000 in females, accounting for15.7%, 17.1% and 13.4% of the total number of cancer deaths and in males and females, respectively. The sexratio was 2.13. Since the 1970s, liver cancer deaths of Hebei province have been increasing slightly. The crudemortality rates in the four surveys were 11.3, 16.0, 17.4, 21.0 per 100,000, respectively, with age-adjusted ratesfluctuating during the past 30 years, but the trend also being upwards. There is a tendency for the mortalityrates to be higher in coastal than mountain areas, and is relative lower in the plain area, with crude mortalityrates of 25.3, 22.1, and 19.1 per 100,000, respectively. There were no notable differences in cride data betweenurban and rural, but the age-adjusted mortality rate in rural was much higher. <br/><b>Conclusion</b>: Our study indicatedthat the mortality of liver cancer in Hebei Province is lower than the national average level. There is a slightlyincrease trend, especially in some counties. Liver cancer is a major health problem and it is necessary to furtherpromote prevention strategies in Hebei province.