Bladder cancer trends in Latvia during 1990–2017: incidence, mortality, and survival rates

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this article was to evaluate bladder cancer (BC) incidence, mortality and survival trends in Latvia over the past 28 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Our study included patients diagnosed with BC between 1990 and 2017. The data were obtained from the national population-based cancer registry. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to identify points where a significant change in incidence and mortality trends occurred, accordingly with the patient’s gender and age. Relative survival (RS) was estimated by Ederer I and II methods. RESULTS: Altogether, 9589 patients with initial BC diagnosis were included in the study. The age-standardised (ASR) incidence rates (per 100,000) increased from 6.8 in 1990 to 12.5 in 2014 followed by a statistically insignificant decrease continuing up to 2017. The ASR BC mortality rates (per 100,000) also rose from 3.9 in 1990 to 4.4 in 2017. However, there was a decline in BC mortality trends in the age-group 40–59 with annual percentage change (APC) -1.1%. RS rates increased from 55.0 % in 1990–2000 to 59.0% in years 2013–2017. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that the incidence and mortality rates have been gradually increasing over the past 28 years. The exception being cancer-specific mortality in the age group 40–59, which tends to decrease. Although the 5-year RS rates improved over the reviewed period, there is still plenty of room for improvement.