Trends in cancer mortality in Spain: the influence of the financial crisis

Objective: To determine if the onset of the economic crisis in Spain affected cancer mortality and mortality trends. Method: We conducted a longitudinal ecological study based on all cancer-related deaths and on specific types of cancer (lung, colon, breast and prostate) in Spain between 2000 and 20...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Ferrando, Josep, Palència Fernàndez, Laia, 1980-, Gotsens Miquel, Mercè, 1983-, Puig i Barrachina, Vanessa, 1980-, Marí Dell'Olmo, Marc, 1978-, Rodríguez Sanz, Maica, 1974-, Bartoll, Xavier, Borrell i Thió, Carme
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2019
Country:España
Institution:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repository:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:10230/44946
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10230/44946
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gaceta.2017.11.008
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Economic crisis
Austerity
Health care cuts
Cancer
Financial crisis
Mortality
Crisis económica
Austeridad
Recortes en salud
Cáncer
Crisis financiera
Mortalidad
Description
Summary:Objective: To determine if the onset of the economic crisis in Spain affected cancer mortality and mortality trends. Method: We conducted a longitudinal ecological study based on all cancer-related deaths and on specific types of cancer (lung, colon, breast and prostate) in Spain between 2000 and 2013. We computed age-standardised mortality rates in men and women, and fit mixed Poisson models to analyse the effect of the crisis on cancer mortality and trends therein. Results: After the onset of the economic crisis, cancer mortality continued to decline, but with a significant slowing of the yearly rate of decline (men: RR = 0.987, 95%CI = 0.985-0.990, before the crisis, and RR = 0.993, 95%CI = 0.991-0.996, afterwards; women: RR = 0.990, 95%CI = 0.988-0.993, before, and RR = 1.002, 95%CI = 0.998-1.006, afterwards). In men, lung cancer mortality was reduced, continuing the trend observed in the pre-crisis period; the trend in colon cancer mortality did not change significantly and continued to increase; and the yearly decline in prostate cancer mortality slowed significantly. In women, lung cancer mortality continued to increase each year, as before the crisis; colon cancer continued to decease; and the previous yearly downward trend in breast cancer mortality slowed down following the onset of the crisis. Conclusions: Since the onset of the economic crisis in Spain the rate of decline in cancer mortality has slowed significantly, and this situation could be exacerbated by the current austerity measures in healthcare.