Trends in cancer mortality in Spain: 1975-2004

Aims and background. Total cancer mortality rates in the European Union have de-clined by about 7 % over the period 1982-2002. The aim of the present study was to in-vestigate similar trends in Spain over the period 1975 to 2004 by age, sex, and cancer site. Patients and methods. Trends in Spanish mortality rates (standardized to the world standard population) for all cancers and for 14 major cancer sites for the years 1975 to 2004 are analyzed. Join point regression analysis was used to identify points where a significant change in trend occurred. Results. The overall cancer mortality rate in Spain in men and women declined b