Long range look at cancer mortality in southern Italy

"We analyzed overall and site-specific cancer mortality between 1988 and 2009 in the metropolitan area of Naples and Caserta, Southern Italy. Over the considered time frame, the reduction in standardized cancer mortality rates (SMR) observed in males from this area was paralleled by a more pronounced decrease in the whole Italian population (-11.4% and -28.4%, respectively). In subgroup analysis including men aged 65 and older, the decline in cancer mortality found at a National level diverged from the slight, but significant, increase emerged from the metropolitan area of interest. Results from joinpoint analyses showed slight, but significant, downwards mortality trends for all cancer sites, independently on gender and specific Province" states Dr Maddalena Barba, medical oncologist and cancer epidemiology at the Regina Elena Cancer Institute and adjunct professor at the Temple University.

"In the Metropolitan area of Naples and Caserta the overall orientation towards a reduction in cancer mortality appeared to be in antithesis with the slight, but significant, increase in mortality trends for some tumours, i.e. cancers originating from pancreas in both genders, cancers from lung and Non Hodgkin lymphomas in females and colorectal cancers in males. Factors contributing explanations to the depicted scenario might widely vary by their nature and include lifestyle (e.g. secular trends in smoking, alcohol assumption, diet), overweight and obesity, use of screening procedures, advancements in cancer diagnosis and treatment. By its nature, our study cannot add to the current evidence on the potential causes of the observed cancer mortality trends. However, our findings might help orient public health decision towards specific target populations throughout interventions potential spanning from implementation of screening programs to biomonitoring studies for the ascertainment of the causal link between exposure to chemical substances in air, water, soil, food, other potential contaminants and cancer-related outcomes in the area of interest." clarifies and concludes Prof. Antonio Giordano, scientific supervisor for this project.