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Cancer prevalence in Italy: an analysis of geographic variability

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Abstract

Purpose

Statistics on cancer prevalence are scanty. The objectives of this study were to describe the cancer prevalence in Italy and to explore determinants of geographic heterogeneity.

Methods

The study included data from 23 population-based cancer registries, including one-third of the Italian population. Five-year cancer prevalence was observed, and complete prevalence (i.e., all patients living after a cancer diagnosis) was estimated through sex-, age-, cancer site-, and observation period length-specific completeness indices by means of regression models.

Results

In 2006, 3.8 % of men and 4.6 % of women in Italy were alive after a cancer diagnosis, with a 5-year prevalence of 1.9 % and 1.7 % in men and women, respectively. A relevant geographic variability emerged for all major cancer sites. When compared to national pooled estimates, crude cancer prevalence proportions were 10 % higher in the north and 30 % lower in the south of Italy. However, these variations were consistently reduced after age adjustment and, in both sexes, largely overlapped those of incidence rates, with correlations >0.90 between variations of prevalence and incidence for all cancer sites and areas.

Conclusions

Magnitude of the cancer prevalence and the geographic heterogeneity herein outlined in Italy will help in meeting the needs of specific population of survivor patients.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Italian Association for Cancer Research. The authors thank Mrs Luigina Mei for editorial assistance.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Luigino Dal Maso.

Additional information

Members of the AIRTUM Working Group: Adele Caldarella (Tuscany Cancer Registry); Carmen Stocco (Veneto Cancer Registry); Silvia Patriarca (Registro Tumori Piemonte, Turin municipality); Diego Serraino (Friuli Venezia Giulia Cancer Registry); Fabio Falcini (Romagna Cancer Registry, Meldola); Maria Michiara (Parma Province Cancer Registry); Francesco Iachetta (Modena Cancer Registry); Luigi Bisanti (Milan Cancer Registry); Fortunato Bianconi (Umbria Cancer Registry); Gennaro Senatore (Salerno Cancer Registry); Stefano Ferretti (Ferrara Cancer Registry); Guido Mazzoleni (Alto Adige/Sudtirol Cancer Registry); Ornelia Sechi (Cancer Registry of Sassari); Francesco Tisano (Syracuse Province Registry of Pathology); Maria Eugenia Sanoja Gonzales (Sondrio Cancer Registry); Angela De Paoli, Mauro Lise, Antonella Zucchetto (Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, Aviano).

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Guzzinati, S., Buzzoni, C., De Angelis, R. et al. Cancer prevalence in Italy: an analysis of geographic variability. Cancer Causes Control 23, 1497–1510 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-0025-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10552-012-0025-8

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