Objective: The National Central Cancer Registry (NCCR) collected cancer registration data in 2009 from local cancer registries in 2012, and analyzed to describe cancer incidence and mortality in China.
Methods: On basis of the criteria of data quality from NCCR, data submitted from 104 registries were checked and evaluated. There were 72 registries' data qualified and accepted for cancer registry annual report in 2012. Descriptive analysis included incidence and mortality stratified by area (urban/rural), sex, age group and cancer site. The top 10 common cancers in different groups, proportion and cumulative rates were also calculated. Chinese population census in 1982 and Segi's population were used for age-standardized incidence/mortality rates.
Results: All 72 cancer registries covered a total of 85,470,522 population (57,489,009 in urban and 27,981,513 in rural areas). The total new cancer incident cases and cancer deaths were 244,366 and 154,310, respectively. The morphology verified cases accounted for 67.23%, and 3.14% of incident cases only had information from death certifications. The crude incidence rate in Chinese cancer registration areas was 285.91/100,000 (males 317.97/100,000, females 253.09/100,000), age-standardized incidence rates by Chinese standard population (ASIRC) and by world standard population (ASIRW) were 146.87/100,000 and 191.72/100,000 with the cumulative incidence rate (0-74 age years old) of 22.08%. The cancer incidence and ASIRC were 303.39/100,000 and 150.31/100,000 in urban areas whereas in rural areas, they were 249.98/100,000 and 139.68/100,000, respectively. The cancer mortality in Chinese cancer registration areas was 180.54/100,000 (224.20/100,000 in males and 135.85/100,000 in females), age-standardized mortality rates by Chinese standard population (ASMRC) and by world standard population (ASMRW) were 85.06/100,000 and 115.65/100,000, and the cumulative incidence rate (0-74 age years old) was 12.94%. The cancer mortality and ASMRC were 181.86/100,000 and 80.86/100,000 in urban areas, whereas in rural areas, they were 177.83/100,000 and 94.40/100,000 respectively. Lung cancer, gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer, pancreas cancer, encephaloma, lymphoma, female breast cancer and cervical cancer, were the most common cancers, accounting for 75% of all cancer cases in urban and rural areas. Lung cancer, gastric cancer, liver cancer, esophageal cancer, colorectal cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer, encephaloma, leukemia and lymphoma accounted for 80% of all cancer deaths. The cancer spectrum showed difference between urban and rural areas, males and females. The main cancers in rural areas were cancers of the stomach, followed by esophageal cancer, lung cancer, liver cancer and colorectal cancer, whereas the main cancer in urban areas was lung cancer, followed by liver cancer, gastric cancer and colorectal cancer.
Conclusions: The coverage of cancer registration population has been increasing and data quality is improving. As the basis of cancer control program, cancer registry plays an important role in making anti-cancer strategy in medium and long term. As cancer burdens are different between urban and rural areas in China, prevention and control should be implemented based on practical situation.
Keywords: Cancer registry; China; epidemiology; incidence; mortality.