1742P - Gender differences in incidence trends of early-onset GI cancer: The European perspective

Background

The US Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Result (SEER) data indicate an increasing incidence of early-onset cancer across the GI tract. A female predominance has been shown for early-onset pancreatic cancer (EOPC) in the US. Due to environmental factors which may underlie the pathogenesis of early-onset cancer, incidence across the globe may differ. However, data regarding the incidence of gastrointestinal cancers in young patients in Europe is scarce. Therefore, we aimed to investigate patterns of GI cancers in young patients across various European countries.

Methods

National cancer registries of seven European countries - Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Slovenia, Norway, Czech Republic and Israel - were approached for absolute number of cancer incidences per age group (15-50 years in 5-year intervals) and the size of the population for each age group yearly from 2008-2018. Data was analyzed to calculate year-by-year the Average Annual Incidence Rate Change (AARC) and Average Annual Percent Change (AAPC).

Results

We observed heterogeneous patterns in different GI cancers across countries. An increase was noted in oesophageal cancer in females in the Czech Republic and Germany (AAPC 11.65% and 1.11% respectively) and slightly in males in the Netherlands (AAPC 0.88%) and Slovenia (AAPC 0.40%). Gastric cancer increased in females in Norway (AAPC 15.00%) and Slovenia (AAPC 11.90%). An increase in incidence of EOPC in men and women was noted in Germany, Norway and Netherlands and in females in Israel and Slovenia (AAPC 6.0%, 4.30% respectively). Early-Onset Colorectal cancer (EOCRC) is on the rise in men and women in Israel, Netherlands and Norway, while increasing only in males in the Czech Republic (AAPC 1.50%) and only in females in Slovenia (AAPC 5.40%). In Spain, only EOCRC showed an increased incidence.

Conclusions

The incidence of early-onset cancer along the GI tract displays differential patterns across countries, which differs from the trends observed in SEER data. In some GI cancers the incidence is stable between 2008-2018 and some are increasing mainly in women. Due to the environmental role in the pathogenesis of early-onset GI cancer, future studies should unravel potential etiologies especially with regard to gender-related factors.

Clinical trial identification

Editorial acknowledgement

Legal entity responsible for the study

The authors.

Funding

Has not received any funding.

Disclosure

All authors have declared no conflicts of interest.