Temporal trends in incidence rates for esophageal and gastric cancers in urban Shanghai, 1972-1989
1993

Declining Cancer Rates in Shanghai

Sample size: 67000 publication Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): W. Zheng, F. Jin, S.S. Devesa, W.J. Blot, J.F. Fraumeni, Jr., Y.-T. Gao

Primary Institution: National Cancer Institute, Division of Cancer Etiology, Epidemiology and Biostatistics Program; Shanghai Cancer Institute

Hypothesis

What are the trends in the incidence of esophageal and gastric cancers in urban Shanghai from 1972 to 1989?

Conclusion

Esophageal cancer rates decreased by more than 50% while gastric cancer rates showed a smaller decline in urban Shanghai over the study period.

Supporting Evidence

  • Esophageal cancer rates decreased from 28.8 to 13.3 per 100,000 among men and from 11.3 to 5.4 among women.
  • Gastric cancer rates among men decreased from 62.0 to 50.1 per 100,000, while rates among women showed only a minor decline.
  • More than a 75% decline in esophageal cancer incidence was observed among individuals under age 55.

Takeaway

In Shanghai, fewer people are getting esophageal cancer, especially younger people, while stomach cancer rates are dropping slowly.

Methodology

The study analyzed cancer incidence data from the Shanghai Cancer Registry, covering all newly diagnosed cases from 1972 to 1989.

Limitations

The study did not assess trends for specific subtypes of gastric cancer due to incomplete histologic data.

Participant Demographics

The study included residents of urban Shanghai, with a population of about seven million during the 1980s.

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