CANCER MORTALITY BY URBANIZATION AND PROXIMITY TO THE SEA COAST IN CAMPANIA REGION, SOUTHERN ITALY

Citation
E. Bidoli et al., CANCER MORTALITY BY URBANIZATION AND PROXIMITY TO THE SEA COAST IN CAMPANIA REGION, SOUTHERN ITALY, Tumori, 84(4), 1998, pp. 460-466
Citations number
27
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Oncology
Journal title
TumoriACNP
ISSN journal
0300-8916
Volume
84
Issue
4
Year of publication
1998
Pages
460 - 466
Database
ISI
SICI code
0300-8916(1998)84:4<460:CMBUAP>2.0.ZU;2-5
Abstract
Aims and background: The risk for several cancers is higher in urban t han in rural areas. The gradient has seldom been studied in southern E urope. Patients and methods: The geographical pattern of mortality for different cancers and all causes was studied in the Campania Region ( about 5.6 million inhabitants), whose largest town is Naples. The key variables were residence in urban/rural and coastal/inland municipalit ies. Relative risks of death and corresponding 95% confidence interval s by residence were evaluated by means of Poisson loglinear regression models. Results: Significantly increased mortality rates in urban com pared to rural municipalities were found for several cancer causes of death. In particular in both sexes, excesses in the order of 30-50% we re observed for tobacco-related neoplasms (i.e., larynx, lung, and bla dder) and cancers of the intestine, liver, brain, multiple myeloma and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, in addition to all-cancer, and all-cause mort ality. In females, specific excesses were also noticed for cancer of t he gallbladder, pancreas, breast and uterus (corpus and cervix). Conve rsely, significantly decreased mortality rates in urban with respect t o rural municipalities were observed for cancer of the oral cavity and pharynx in males. Coastal location and degree of urbanization were st rongly correlated, thus showing similar associations with most causes of death. However, a significant excess of cancer of the pleura in mal es was restricted to coastal municipalities. Conclusions: Anti-smoking campaigns, sanitation improvements, hepatitis B vaccination, and a de crease in obesity emerge as high priorities with respect to cancer con trol strategies in the Campania Region, particularly in overpopulated, underprivileged urban areas.