The changing age distribution of prostate cancer in Canada.

Background: Prostate cancer incidence rates are still increasing steadily; mortality rates are levelling, possibly decreasing; and hospitalization rates for many diagnoses are decreasing. Our objective is to examine changes in age distributions of prostate cancer during these times of change.

Methods: Prostate cancer cases were derived from the Canadian Cancer Registry, prostate cancer deaths from Vital Statistics, hospitalizations from the Hospital Morbidity File.

Trends in prostate cancer incidence, hospital utilization and surgical procedures, Canada, 1981-2000.

Background: Numbers of new prostate cancer cases in Canada continue to increase because of increasing prostate cancer incidence, population growth, aging of the population, and earlier detection methods such as PSA (prostate-specific antigen) testing. Concern has been expressed that PSA-related increases in incidence will make unaffordable demands on Canadian hospital resources. Our objective is to relate increases in prostate cancer incidence to trends in hospitalizations and in- patient treatment.

Proportion of cancer deaths occurring in hospital, Canada, 1994-2000.

Background: Most terminally ill cancer patients would prefer not to die in hospital, but only a minority achieve their wish. Our objective was to examine the proportion of cancer deaths occurring in Canadian hospitals.

Methods: The two sources of data (1994-2000) were: 1) all hospital separations (HS) with a primary diagnosis of cancer and discharge as 'dead'; 2) all death certificates (DC) with cancer as underlying cause of death.

Trends in in-patient hospital utilization and surgical procedures for breast, prostate, lung and colorectal cancers in Canada.

Objective: To analyse population-based trends of in-patient surgical procedures for breast (female), prostate, lung and colorectal cancers.

Methods: The Hospital Morbidity Files supplied hospital data and the Canadian Cancer Registry, incidence data. Age-adjusted rates were standardized to the 1991 Canadian population.

Declining use of mastectomy for invasive breast cancer in Canada, 1981-2000.

Objective: To evaluate the rate and magnitude of change in surgical practice for breast cancer in Canada in relation to publication dates of clinical trials and consensus conferences.

Methods: Hospital separations with a diagnosis of invasive breast cancer were extracted from the Hospital Morbidity File from 1981 to 2000. Age-standardized rates of in-patient procedures for breast-conserving surgery and mastectomy were analyzed by province and age group and by geographic region.

Developing palliative care surveillance in Canada: results of a pilot study.

Objective: A pilot study compiled data from six palliative care centres across Canada to assess the feasibility of developing a national surveillance system.

Methods: Data provided for the three-year period between 1993-1997 were combined into a comparative minimum data set. Analyses included 6,369 care episodes from five centres, plus 948 patients from one centre.