Trend analysis of the incidence of prostate cancer in Tianjin between 1981 and 2004

Objective To analyze the trend of the incidence of prostate cancer in urban Tianjin area between 1981 and 2004 so as to provide scientific rationales for the prevention and control of prostate cancer.Methods The data of prostate cancer cases were provided by the Tianjin Cancer Registry. The SAS system V9 was used to calculate the crude incidence, age-adjusted incidence and age specific incidence of prostate cancer in Tianjin between 1981 and 2004. And the Joinpoint 3.0 software was used to analyze secular trends. Results Between 1981 and 2004, a total of 1060 prostate cancer cases were diagnosed in Tianjin.And the age-adjusted incidence rate was 2.84/100 000 in 2004. The incidence of prostate cancer showed 3 incremental stages during the 24-year period at an annual average of 4.02%. An aging trend was observed for prostate cancer patients. The elder patients had a faster increment in incidence. Specifically, it increased annually at 4.63% for age group 65 - 74 year versus 5.18% for age group 75 years or more. Conclusion Despite a low incidence of prostate cancer in Tianjin, it is increasing at a fast rate. The prevention and control of prostate cancer should be strengthened. Key words: Prostate neoplasms; Incidence rate; Secular trend