Rising trends in oral cancer mortality in Spain, 1975-94.

Background: Epidemiological studies have shown that the worldwide incidence and mortality rates for oral cancer have increased considerably over the last decade. This study investigates the Spanish trend in mortality of oral cancer from 1975-94.

Methods: Age-standardized, truncated, cumulative, age-specific and potential years of life lost (PYLL) rates were calculated by gender. Poisson regression models allowed the measurement of age and period effects.

Results: Age-standardized and cumulative mortality rates increased in males, while truncated and PYLL rates doubled. Changes were less marked in females. There were annual increases in oral cancer mortality from 1975-94, of 25% and 9% in males and females, respectively. In males there was an interaction between age and period. There was also an increase in age-specific mortality rates in males.

Conclusions: Mortality from oral cancer rose substantially in males, with concomitant changes in the age-distribution pattern of mortality. Increases were less marked in females, with some minor modifications to the age-distribution pattern of mortality.