| Abstract | dc.description.abstract | Chile has a medium-to-high skin cancer mortality rate.
Previous studies have shown an increasing rate of skin
cancer mortality. We evaluated skin cancer mortality
characteristics and their temporal evolution in Chile from
1990 to 2005 in a mixed ecological study using death certificate
databases. Age, sex, year and region of residence
were obtained for melanoma and non-melanoma deaths.
Crude and age-sex-adjusted rates were calculated using
the national projections and WHO 2000 standard population
data. Descriptive and temporal analyses, using
a Prais-Winsten regression, were computed. A total of
3588 deaths were registered, of which 55% were melanoma
and 54% occurred in men (median age 71 years;
women were older). The adjusted rate was 1.75 deaths
per 100,000 inhabitants (2.22 in men vs. 1.39 in women).
Melanoma skin cancer and non-melanoma skin cancer
mortality had a tendency to increase. In conclusion, skin
cancer mortality is rising beyond the rate predicted by
ageing. An increased incidence due to changes in modifiable
factors, such as exposure to ultraviolet radiation
and arsenic, might explain the increase in skin cancer
mortality. | en_US |
