Years of life lost due to malignant neoplasms of the digestive system in Poland in the years 2000-2014.

Background: Every fourth death that occurs in Poland is caused by a malignant neoplasm. A particularly negative epidemiological situation relates to colorectal cancers; in 2015 they constituted the fifth most important cause of years of life lost (YLL) in Poland.

Objective: We aimed to analyse YLL due to malignant neoplasms of the digestive system in Poland in between 2000 and 2014.

Methods: The study material included a database containing information gathered from 5,601,568 death certificates of Poles who died in 2000-2014. YLLs were calculated with the use of the standard expected years of life lost index (SEYLL).

Results: In the 15-year study period, malignant neoplasms of the digestive system contributed to 213,041 deaths in males and 177,644 deaths in females, which corresponded to a loss of 158.6 years per 10,000 men and 105.3 years per 10,000 women. Neoplasms of the large intestine (23.6%), stomach (22.0%) and pancreas (17.4%) contributed the most. A time trend analysis revealed ( < 0.05) a growing tendency of YLLs due to neoplasms of the large intestine and pancreas, and a decreasing trend due to neoplasms of the stomach.

Conclusion: Malignant neoplasms of the digestive system, especially of the large intestine, are becoming a more common cause of premature mortality in Poland.