Epidemiological Trends for Childhood and Adolescent Cancers in the Period 1994-2016 in the Czech Republic

Abstract

Background: Our study aimed to evaluate incidence and mortality trends for childhood and adolescent cancers in the period 1994-2016 in the Czech Republic.

Material and methods: Data on childhood cancers, which are recorded in the Czech National Cancer Registry, were validated using a clinical database of childhood cancer patients and combined with data from the National Register of Hospitalised Patients and with data from death certificates. These validated data were used to establish cancer incidence. Data from death certificates were used to evaluate long-term trends in mortality. Incidence and mortality trends were assessed by the average annual percentage change.

Results: The age-standardised incidence trend for childhood cancers (i.e. those diagnosed in patients aged 0-19 years) showed a statistically significant slight long-term increase in the number of new cases, +0.5% annually on average (p < 0.01), more specifically an increase of +0.6% in girls and a statistically insignificant decrease of 0.1% in boys. In children aged 0-14 years, other malignant epithelial neoplasms and malignant melanomas showed the largest statistically significant average annual increase in incidence (+4.9%; p < 0.01), followed by central nervous system neoplasms (+1.3%; p < 0.05). Lymphomas, by contrast, showed a statistically significant average annual decrease in incidence in children aged 0-14 years (2.1%; p < 0.01). In adolescents aged 15-19 years, other malignant epithelial neoplasms and malignant melanomas also showed a statistically significant average annual increase in incidence (+5.2%; p < 0.01), followed by central nervous system neoplasms (+1.5%; p < 0.05). Mortality trends showed a statistically significant long-term decrease: on average, 5.1% annually in children aged 0-14 years (p < 0.01), and 3.7% annually in adolescents aged 15-19 years (p < 0.01).

Conclusion: Available data make it possible to analyse long-term trends in childhood cancer incidence and mortality.

Keywords: adolescents; cancer; children; incidence; mortality; time trend.