Potential Years of Life Lost Due to Urogenital Cancer in the United States: Trends From 1972 to 2006 Based on Data From the SEER Database

Purpose: Urogenital cancer is a major health problem in the United States. We assessed potential years of life lost secondary to genitourinary cancer in the United States from 1972 to 2006 using the SEER (Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results) database. We report trends in potential years of life lost during the same period.Materials and Methods: Potential years of life lost were calculated to assess premature mortality trends for ureter, bladder, kidney and renal pelvis, penis, testis and prostate cancers. Calculations were based on SEER cancer mortality data. Potential years of life lost up to and including age 75 years were calculated by and across genders in 5-year increments between 1972 and 2006.Results: A total of 7,733,235 potential years of life were lost in men and women. In each gender the greatest potential loss was for kidney and renal pelvis cancer related mortality. In each gender no improvement in the potential loss due to ureteral and bladder cancer related mortality was observed dur...