Morbidity and mortality trends of the most common cancers in 1990–2019. Poland’s position compared to other European countries

Introduction. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the trends in morbidity and mortality of the selected cancer sites in Poland against other European countries. Material and methods. Countries for analysis were selected based on geographical location. Estimates of age-adjusted incidence and mortality rates were calculated using the new European 2013 standard population. Lung, colorectal, breast, and prostate cancers were chosen. Time trends for age-standardized rates were analyzed using Joinpoint Re­gression software. Results. Poland differed from other analyzed countries mainly in terms of cancer mortality. Poland is a country with one of the smallest amounts of current expenditures on health care per capita, which translates into one of the highest levels of cancer mortality in both women and men. Conclusions. Compared to other countries, Poland’s cancer outcomes on population level are unsatisfactory. The si­tuation may improve with the introduction of educational and screening programs