Cancer in the elderly in Slovakia

Czech version

Authors: M. Ondrušová ^1,2; S. Vándor Svidová ¹; A. Blažová ¹; D. Ondruš ³
Authors‘ workplace: Oddelenie epidemiológie a štatistiky, Pharm-In spol. s. r. o., Bratislava, Slovenská republika ¹; Ústav epidemiológie, Fakulta verejného zdravotníctva, Slovenská zdravotnícka univerzita, Bratislava, Slovenská republika ²; I. onkologická klinika LF UK a OÚSA, Bratislava, Slovenská republika ³
Published in: Klin Onkol 2025; 38(3): 177-184
Category: Reviews
doi: https://doi.org/10.48095/ccko2025177

Overview

Objective: The present publication focuses on the analysis of the development of basic epidemiological indicators of the most frequently occurring cancers in elderly population in Slovakia. Results: The proportion of the elderly in cancer incidence and mortality in Slovakia is higher than that of younger patients (0–64 years) and is increasing. The most frequently diagnosed cancers include bronchus and lung cancer, colorectal cancer, breast cancer in females and prostate cancer in males. The average age of the whole population at diagnosis and at death for all diagnoses (except prostate cancer) in both males and females increases over the study period. The average age at diagnosis of prostate cancer is decreasing, while the average age at death is increasing. The age-standardized rate (world) (ASR-W) incidence and mortality rates for lung cancer in elderly males are decreasing, whereas they are increasing in females. ASR-W incidence of colorectal cancer is stable in elderly males but shows an increasing trend in females. Mortality from colorectal cancer is decreasing in both males and females. ASR-W incidence and mortality for prostate cancer in elderly males are decreasing. ASR-W incidence of breast cancer shows an increasing trend in elderly females, while the mortality rate is decreasing insignificantly. Conclusion: The growing cancer burden in the elderly will place an increasing burden on the health care system, so focus on prevention and early cancer diagnosis will be necessary.

Keywords:

incidence – cancer – mortality – elderly age

Sources

1. OECD. Onkologický profil krajiny: Slovenská republika 2025. [online]. Dostupné z: https: //doi.org/10.1787/1941d439-sk.

2. United Nations: Department of Economic and Social Affairs. World population prospects 2019: highlights. [online]. Dostupné z: chrome-extension: //efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https: //population.un.org/wpp/assets/Files/WPP2019_Highlights.pdf.

3. Pilleron S, Soto-Perez-de-Celis E, Vignat J et al. Estimated global cancer incidence in the oldest adults in 2018 and projections to 2050. Int J Cancer 2021; 148 (3): 601–608. doi: 10.1002/ijc.33232.

4. Zeng C, Wen W, Morgans AK et al. Disparities by race, age, and sex in the improvement of survival for major cancers: results from the National Cancer Institute surveillance, epidemiology, and end results (SEER) program in the United States, 1990 to 2010. JAMA Oncol 2015; 1 (1): 88–96. doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2014.161.

5. Petera J, Dušek L, Sirák I et al. Cancer in the elderly in the Czech Republic. Eur J Cancer Care (Engl) 2015; 24 (2): 163–178. doi: 10.1111/ecc.12287.

6. Fedeli U, Fedewa SA, Ward EM. Treatment of muscle invasive bladder cancer: evidence from the national cancer database 2003 to 2007. J Urol 2011; 185 (1): 72–78. doi: 10.1016/j.juro.2010.09.015.

7. Wo JY, Hong TS, Kachnic LA. Impact of age and comorbidities on the treatment of gastrointestinal malignancies. Sem Radiat Oncol 2012; 22 (4): 311–320. doi: 10.1016/j.semradonc.2012.05.008.

8. SVOD. Portál epidemiologie novotvarů v ČR. [online]. Dostupné z: https: //www.svod.cz/.

9. NCZI. Národný onkologický register Slovenskej republiky. Prezentácia výstupov: úvod. [online]. Dostupné z: https: //iszi.nczisk.sk/nor.sr/.

10. NCZI. Rozšírené, doteraz nepublikované onkologické dáta z rokov 1978–2014 v interaktívnej podobe. [online]. Dostupné z: https: //www.nczisk.sk/Aktuality/Pages/NCZI-Rozsirene-doteraz-nepublikovane-onkologicke-data-z-rokov-1978-2014-v-interaktivnej-podobe.aspx.

11. Statistical office of the Slovak Republic. Demografia – počet zomretých a príčiny úmrtí v SR za rok 2024. [online]. Dostupné z: https: //slovak.statistics.sk/wps/portal/ ext/products/informationmessages/inf_sprava_detail/ f6869351-8ff8-41d7-ae37-06eaa23a88e2/!ut/p/z1/tVFNc4IwFPwtPXjMvAfhIx6jYwGrTrWlSi6dqEEpCigZrP--odNLD3700FxeMrO72X0LAhYgCtlkG6mzspA7806E9z71I9brWRyxN6IYDZ9eJmH_0Q5iF-a_AWwyG2D0yp-D2dCx0HFBXOe_gQCxKnSlt5CUy1puSZ2TrEiJzHUHzaU87o2bplCkro6yOXewqZXOzUw95nWpaxGWpow41tonUlGfoKektKlkTNmtfLXK1pDchZ7fytvGwQuHo-GLb0g_ 4KHjjxDZKHAx4mE8604pRU5_AFc0EuPBv-jB8mHeZOoEcdFuZgcvf4wYIgxvtWJqzz4OB8FNN2Wh1aeGxX-UY_6xj-P-eGMSSL1tpUtY3EWt9vGe0TPJ0_GAOmJ5PvGHL5r50jo!/dz/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/.

12. Statistical office of the Slovak Republic. DATAcube. [online]. Dostupné z: https: //slovak.statistics.sk/wps/portal/ext/Databases/DATAcube_sk/!ut/p/z1/jZDBToNAEIafhuvuX5bC4m1rUoqSykoWcC-GNkhJumwDKK8vNl5MFDuHSSb5vpnMTzUtqe6qj7apxtZ21XmeX7T_micp32xWAk8y9SHix72XhTHcjNHiCtxHYucFCcCTaI1Y7NRzKBmDYFTf4uOPErjNXwD08vqC6isipJRZkueIcneLmK0i7JUCtsE3sPTif0ceqG4PhkxHQ0AQeAjZmvnMd-fOvzIW3YHxhuq-fqv7uifv_Rz9aRwvw50DB9M0kcba5lyTozUOflNOdhhp-ZOkF6NUiTY1BR8-AZwqgiE!/dz/d5/L2dBISEvZ0FBIS9nQSEh/.

13. Kim HJ, Fay MP, Feuer EJ et al. Permutation tests for joinpoint regression with applications to cancer rates. Stat Med 2000; 19 (3): 335–351. doi: 10.1002/ (sici) 1097-0258 (20000215) 19: 3<335:: aid-sim336>3.0. co; 2-z.

14. Český statistický úřad. [online]. Dostupné z: https: //csu.gov.cz/.

15. NCZI. Národný onkologický register SR. Prezentácia výstupov: incidencia. [online]. Dostupné z: https: //iszi.nczisk.sk/nor.sr/incidencia.

16. Cui J, Ding R, Liu H et al. Trends in the incidence and survival of cancer in individuals aged 55 years and older in the United States, 1975–2019. BMC Public Health 2024; 24 (1): 72. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023- 17571-x.

17. Carioli G, Malvezzi M, Bertuccio P et al. Cancer mortality in the elderly in 11 countries worldwide, 1970–2015. Ann Oncol 2019; 30 (8): 1344–1355. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdz178.

18. Barta JA, Powell CA, Wisnivesky JP. Global epidemiology of lung cancer. Ann Glob Health 2019; 85 (1): 8. doi: 10.5334/aogh.2419.

19. Thun MJ, Carter BD, Feskanich D et al. 50-year trends in smoking-related mortality in the United States. N Engl J Med 2013; 368 (4): 351–364. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsa1211127.

20. Kiyohara C, Ohno Y. Sex differences in lung cancer susceptibility: a review. Gend Med 2010; 7 (5): 381–401. doi: 10.1016/j.genm.2010.10.002.

21. Zhou B, Zang R, Zhang M et al. Worldwide burden and epidemiological trends of tracheal, bronchus, and lung cancer: a population-based study. EBioMedicine 2022; 78: 103951. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.103951.

22. NCZI. Onkologické skríningy v Slovenskej republike za roky 2021–2023. [online]. Dostupné z: https: //app.powerbi.com/view?r=eyJrIjoiMGMxY2ZiMzEtNzQ0NS00YjMxLThhZTAtOWE4NThkYjc2ZTNkIiwidCI6IjMxMGJhNTk1LTAxM2MtNDAyZC05ZWYyLWI1N2Q1ZjFkY2Q2MyIsImMiOjl9.

23. Héry C, Ferlay J, Boniol M et al. Changes in breast cancer incidence and mortality in middle-aged and elderly women in 28 countries with Caucasian majority populations. Ann Oncol 2008; 19 (5): 1009–1018. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdm593.