Trends in incidence of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus and gastric cardia in ten European countries

Background In many western countries an increase in incidence of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus and/or gastric cardia have been reported. The aim of this study was to describe and compare trends in incidence of adenocarcinoma of the oesophagus and gastric cardia in several areas of Europe, 1968-1995, using Eurocim (a database of cancer incidence and mortality data from 95 European cancer registries). Methods Time-trends in age-standardized incidence rates of adenocarcinomas of the oesophagus and gastric cardia are described in 11 population-based cancer registries from 10 countries in North, South, East, West and Central Europe, 1968-1995. The statistical significance of the time-trends in incidence was assessed using Poisson regression analysis. Results An increase in incidence of adenocarcinomas of the oesophagus and gastric cardia was observed in Northern Europe (Denmark), Southern Europe (Italy, Varese), Eastern Europe (Slovakia) and Western Europe (England and Wales, Scotland). In Central Europe (Switzerland, Basel) and in the cancer registries of Iceland (Northern Europe), France, Bas-Rhin and Calvados, Southern Ireland, and the Netherlands, Eindhoven (Western Europe) no rise in incidence was observed. The increase in incidence of adenocarcinomas of the oesophagus and gastric cardia was accompanied by a decrease in incidence of both adenocarcinomas and non-adenocarcinomas of the non-cardia part of the stomach in almost all of the 11 cancer registries studied. Increased histological verification of tumours of the oesophagus and stomach and improvement in precision of histological diagnosis may partly explain the increase in incidence of adenocarcinomas in some registries. Conclusions This study, using Eurocim data, supports the findings from other time-trend studies of population-based cancer registries in western countries.