Trends in mortality from leukemia in subsequent age groups

Trends in age-standardized death certification rates from leukemias in subsequent age groups were analyzed on the basis of the World Health Organization database over the period 1960-1997 in the European Union (EU) and other developed areas of the world. In the EU, the peak rate at age 0-14 was observed in 1960-1964, and the fall in mortality was over 70%, to reach 1.2/100 000 males and 0.9/100 000 females in 1995-1997. In the age group 15-44, the fall was about 40% for males and 45% for females. In the age group 45-59, the fall was around 25%. At age 60-69, the peak rate was observed in the late 1970s, and the subsequent fall was only 6% for females. At age greater than or equal to 70, leukemia mortality rose up to the late 1980s, and levelled off thereafter. Overall, the falls in leukemia mortality over the 35-year calendar period corresponded to the avoidance of about 7000 deaths per year. In eastern Europe, the falls in children and young adults started later - in the late 1970s - and were less than 40% for children and 30% for young adults (15-44 years). Overall age-standardized mortality from leukemia did not appreciably change over the 35-year period considered. Leukemia mortality rates in the USA and Japan started from different values, but were similar to those of the EU in the late 1990s, indicating that the impact of therapeutic advancements has been comparable in developed areas of the world. In eastern Europe, however, the declines in leukemia mortality were later and appreciably smaller.