Trends in morbidity on the basis of newly-reported cases of malignant skin melanoma (172 ICD) and other skin neoplasms (173 ICD) in Czechoslovakia during the period 1961--1972.

According to newly-reported cases of all malignant neoplasms of the skin (172 + 173 ICD) morbidity rate for the period 1961--1972 showed a rising trend of statistical significance only in Bohemia; while in Slovakia it persisted at a practically steady level throughout the period followed. Malignant skin melanomas (172 ICD) were on the increase in both regions, the rate being of statistical significance only in men in Bohemia. Morbidity from other malignant skin neoplasms (173 ICD) during the same period showed a stable pattern in Slovakia while it rose steadily in a significant degree in both, males and females in Bohemia. The causes for these varying trends must be further analyzed.

Trends in mortality rate from malignant skin melanoma and other malignant skin neoplasms in Czechoslovakia during the period 1921--1970.

Mortality from malignant skin melanoma (172 ICD) has an ascending trend in Czechoslovakia (CSSR) the rate being higher after the year 1960 in Bohemia (CSR) than the Slovakia (SSR). Mortality from other malignant neoplasms of the skin (173 ICD) declines; this decline for the whole of Czechoslovakia has been statistically influenced mainly by the lower death rate from this cause in Bohemia, for in Slovakia this mortality rate has risen, although significantly only in women. The proportion of deaths from malignant skin melanoma (172 ICD) out of the total number of deaths from malignant skin neoplasms (172 + + 173 ICD) is relatively low in Czechoslovakia--lower in Slovakia than in Bohemia.

Trends in cancer mortality in Czechoslovakia 1949-1978.

The analysis of the trends of the principal causes of deaths in Czechoslovakia indicated leading second position of malignant neoplasms in the whole mortality over the period 1949 through 1978. The rapidly growing all sites cancer mortality trends in males together with their unimportant changes in females resulted in the steadily increasing overmortality of males. Among digestive organs important decrease of stomach and in lesser extent also of oesophageal cancers with simultaneously increasing mortality trends of malignant neoplasms of colon, pancreas and rectum in both sexes were observed. The trends in the cancer mortality of respiratory organs as well as the increasing rates of the whole male cancer mortality were strongly influenced with dramatical increase of lung cancers while these of larynx showed slow increase in males and decrease in females. The rapidly growing mortality trends showed also breast cancer, reaching at the end of the investigated period the first position in the whole female cancer mortality, while the increasing mortality from the malignant neoplasms of the different genital and urinary organs of females were less or more expressed. The relatively high average annual increase was characteristic for the mortality trends of the malignant neoplasms of bladder and other urinary organs and of prostate gland and testis in males. Among other sites the increasing mortality trends from malignant neoplasms of brain and leukemias were of interest.

Geographic patterns and trends of liver, biliary tract and pancreas cancer mortality in Slovakia.

The age-adjusted mortality rates and trends of primary liver cancer in Slovakia showed during the investigated decade 1968-1977 small reduction in males, accompanied with statistically significant decline in females. The slightly increasing trends of mortality from the cancer of gallbladder and extrahepatic bile ducts were not significant while the growing rates and upward trends of mortality from pancreatic malignant neoplasms were statistically significant for both sexes. Geographic distribution of standardized mortality rates from these cancer sites displayed various differences within the districts of Slovakia during the whole investigated period. The need for further descriptive and analytical studies of these less common cancer sites of the alimentary system using more detailed and classified data on incidence and mortality is stressed.

[Geographic distribution of mortality from malignant tumors in Slovakia]. / Geografická distribúcia mortality na zhubné nádory na Slovensku.

PIP: Geographic variations in mortality from malignant tumors in the Slovak regions of Czechoslovakia are examined for the period 1968-1977 by sex. The highest rates are shown to be in the western part of the region and in the two large cities. The value of small-area analysis is emphasized. (summary in ENG, GER, RUS)^ieng

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura in children.

Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is the most commonly acquired bleeding illness in children. 70-80% of children resolve from acute state within few weeks and months with a complete retrospective changes in recovery of reference values. The aim of this work was to evaluate a group of patients with diagnosis of ITP treated or followed from 1979 to 1999. There were found no differences in achieving the remission in the acute phase of ITP (this means till the 6th month from the first documented thrombocytopenia) according to retrospective analysis and comparison of three groups of children in whom the diagnosis of ITP was made from 1979 to 1991 (group A), from 1992 to 1994 (group B) and from 1995 to 1999 (group C). The groups differed in their therapeutic strategies in various time periods as to the time of the diagnosis. In group A, 75% of patients were treated with oral corticosteroids (prednisone). In group B, 10.8% of patients were treated with i.v. application of corticosteroids and 43.3% had no therapy in the acute phase. In group C, 28% of patients were treated with i.v. application of corticosteroids and 36.6% of patients had no therapy applied. A comparable degree of remission in the acute phase with 48%, 54%, or 50% of children with reference values of platelets at the time of six months from the beginning of the disease were achieved. In the group A, the remission was achieved in 85% of children at the end of the 5th year of the follow-up, in the group B in 75% of children to the latest control of platelets in our outcome clinic for children and follow up in the group C in 68% of children the remission was achieved after one year. (Tab. 4, Fig. 2, Ref. 10.)

Some epidemiological outlooks on cancer mortality in Czechoslovakia.

Study of the total mortality evolution of the population in Czechoslovakia indicated the steadily increasing and recently 20% participation of the malignant neoplasms and their leading, second position among main causes of deaths. The crude cancer mortality rates of all sites showed in the period 1946--1975 substantial increase more expressed in males, while the pattern of age-adjusted mortality rates of men were lower and in the women remained quite stable during the whole evaluated period. Cancer mortality in this period was characterized also with increasing overmortality of men. Analysis of age-specific death rates revealed not only higher mortality of males but also the shifting of the peaks to older age groups in both sexes. The malignant neoplasms of lung, stomach, prostate and rectum in men and the tumors of breast, stomach, colon, rectum and of genital organs in women were the most important individual sites. Finally, the actual cancer mortality rates of all sites in Czechoslovakia were compared with those of some European countries.

Geographic patterns of oesophagus, stomach, colon and rectum cancer mortality in Slovakia.

The deaths caused by the mentioned four basic cancer sites of the gastrointestinal tract represented almost one third of all deaths from cancer in Slovakia during the decade 1968--1977. The age-adjusted rates and trends showed substantial increase of the mortality from colon cancer in both sexes as well as from rectum and oesophagus cancer in men and simultaneously significant decrease of stomach cancer in men and women together with quite unchanged rates of rectum and oesophagus cancer mortality in women during the investigated period. Study of the geographic distribution of standardised mortality rates of these cancer sites revealed the existence of great differences in the frame of the individual sites as well as the tendency of substitute the decreasing mortality rates of stomach cancer with those of colon and rectum especially in the western part of the country. The possible advantages and perspectives of the investigation of the geographic patterns of cancer mortality in adequately great territorial units in this country are discussed.