Abstract

RUIZ-RAMOS, M.  and  ESCOLAR PUJOLAR, A.. The mortality of prostate cancer in Andalusia: Contributions to mass screening. Actas Urol Esp [online]. 2005, vol.29, n.1, pp.41-46. ISSN 0210-4806.

Background: To describe the mortality of prostate cancer in Andalusia from 1975 to 2001. Methods: Estimation of crude rates, age-adjusted rates, Potential Years of Life Lost (PYLL) adjusted rates, risk of death and the changes produced in the adjusted rates. Results: Prostate cancer deaths rise from 407 to 767. Crude rates increased from 13,54 to 21,35 per 100.000 persons-years. However, the age-adjusted rates showed a steady trend over the study period, with an annual percent change of -0,21%, and the premature mortality indicators declined. The cumulative risk of death increased with age, and presented an exponential increase after the age of 50 years, in both the periods, 1975-1979 as 1997-2001, with highest values in the second one. Conclusions: Prostate cancer mortality in Andalusia has increased in absolute values due to the ageing of the population. When adjusted for age, the mortality has remained stable, with a shift of deaths toward the more extreme age groups, as indicated by the decrease of premature deaths. The results of this study do not support the starting-up of mass screening programs.

Keywords : Prostate cancer; Mortality; Mass screening; Prostate-specific antigen.

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