Malignant brain neoplasms incidence and mortality trends in Croatia from 2001 to 2014

Aim To analyze the sex-specific incidence and mortality trends of brain malignancies in Croatia from 2001 to 2014. Methods Incidence and mortality rates per 100 000 population were calculated using data obtained from the Croatian National Cancer Registry and the Croatian Bureau of Statistics. Rates were age-standardized to the European Standard Population, and trends were assessed using joinpoint regression.Results In the observed period there were 6634 new brain malignancy cases (52% men) and 5379 deaths due to this diagnosis (52% men). Age-standardized incidence rates ranged from 9.2-11.5 per 100 000 in men and from 7-8.8 per 100 000 in women. Mortality rates ranged from 7.5-8.7 per 100 000 in men and from 5-6.5 in women. Incidence trends in men, mortality in men, and mortality in women were not statistically significant, while a significant trend was observed in incidence in women (annual percent change -1.5; 95% confidence interval -2.3 to -0.6). No joinpoints were observed in any of the joinpoint analyses by sex for incidence and mortality. Age-specific incidence and mortality rates in both sexes indicate a trend shift toward older age. The proportion of morphologically verified cases ranged from 40.2%-62.4% in men and from 38.6%- 56.3% in women; the proportion of death-certificate-only cases ranged from 3.3%-9.4% in men and from 3.3%-17.5% in women.Conclusion Incidence and mortality of brain malignancies in Croatia are among the highest in Europe, while reporting on brain malignancies is still poor. There is a need for improved care of patients with brain malignancies and detailed and accurate data reporting