[Prevalence of cancer in the Guadalajara health area].

OBJECTIVE

To quantify the prevalence of cancerand its distribution in adults.

DESIGN

Descriptive study of point prevalence through research into primary and secondary sources.

SETTING

Primary care, Guadalajara Health Region. 133 539 people over 14 years old.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients previously diagnosed with cancer, who had a health card in the health area in June 1999.

MEASUREMENTS

Demographic and diagnostic details (location according to CIE-9, date and diagnostic method).

DATA SOURCES

primary care clinical records, cancer morbidity records and attendance orders. Overall crude and adjusted rates, in function of sex and age group, and specific to locations, were calculated. They were compared with data from other studies and data calculated for Spain on the basis of WHO information.

RESULTS

2717 tumours (2595 patients). Mean age, 68.2 (95% CI, 67.6-68.7); diagnostic age, 62.8 (95% CI, 62.1-63.5), in both cases higher in men (P<.01). Most common tumours: prostate, bladder, colon and lung (men); breast, colon, endometrium and ovaries (women). Crude prevalence: men, 2303.8/100 000; women, 1763.8. Adjusted to world population: 1394.2 and 1227.4/100 000, respectively (prevalence ratio, 1.14; 95% CI, 1.03-1.25). Truncated rate higher in women than in men (1638/100 000 against 1308). Five-year period with highest prevalence: 75-79 years old in men (8763.5/100 000) and 80-84 in women (4558.7/100 000).

CONCLUSIONS

Cancer prevalence in adults is slightly above 2%. Once adjusted for age, values are similar to other studies and as expected for our country. The most common tumours are in the digestive apparatus, breast and the genito-urinary system. The man/woman proportion is higher than that described in other studies.