Changing mortality patterns for major cancers in Spain, 1951-1985.

Mortality trends for main cancer sites in Spain from 1951-1985 are presented. Age-standardized mortality rates per 100,000 were computed using the direct method. The Spanish population of 1970 was used as the standard. Age-standardized mortality rates for total cancer showed a marked increase among men throughout the period of study. This can be attributed mainly to the increase in lung cancer mortality (from 8.63 person-years to 44.74 between 1951 and 1985), which was only partially balanced by a reduction in the stomach cancer mortality (from 36.18 to 18.31). Among women the increase in total cancer is lower overall. It occurred mainly during the 1950s and thereafter the trend has remained stable and even declined in recent years. Lung cancer mortality rates among women have remained fairly stable and stomach cancer followed the same pattern as for men. Breast cancer mortality increased constantly during the period (from 7.21 to 19.38) but it was not until 1978 that it became the leading cause of cancer mortality among women.