Case report
Epidemiological Analysis of Lung Carcinoma in the Central Dalmatia Region: Results of Twenty-Year Follow-Up
Kornelija Miše
Anteo Bradarić
Andrija Sviličić
Maja Vučković
Slava Kotarac
Snježana Tomić
Stipan Janković
Abstract
A several-fold increase in the incidence of lung cancer during the last 20 years has been obvious in the central Dalmatia region. It has been on a constant increase in both men and women. A 2.4-fold increase has been recorded in male, and 4.2-fold in female population. The majority of patients are long-time cigarette smokers. Thirty years ago this habit was characteristic for men, while today the number of female smokers has been on an increase (the percentage of female patients cigarette smokers increased from 17.8% to 47.3%). Most patients are older than 65 and together with those over 60 years of age they make over 42% of lung carcinoma patients. The increased incidence of adenocarcinoma not directly connected with cigarette smoking, on the account of a decrease in the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung has been confirmed. The highest increase was recorded during the postwar years (by as much as 32% in 2000), which could be attributed to severe psychical traumas and other hardships related to the war and life in the postwar period. The increase in the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma in women (from 17.5% to 20.4%) could probably be attributed to the increase in the number of female smokers. The decrease in the incidence of small cell anaplastic lung carcinoma was evenly distributed in both sexes (from 27% to 22.6%). Comparison of data obtained for one part of Croatia (coastal region) with global data suggests a similar epidemiological pattern to exist in the south and southeast Europe (south Italy, Spain, and Greece).
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
14770
URI
Publication date:
10.6.2002.
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