Abstract：Objective To analyze the time trends of mortality rates from stomach cancer in China in 1988-2017, and to provide a scientific basis for developing stomach cancer prevention and control measures. Methods We retrieved the data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer, the World Health Organization and China Health Statistics Yearbook. The data regarding mortality rates from stomach cancer in China during 1988-2017 were collected and calculated by SPSS 22.0. The Joinpoint regression model was used to analyze the time trends of mortality rates from stomach cancer. Results During the period of 1988-2017, the average annual percent change (AAPC) in standardized mortality rate from stomach cancer was -2.45% for urban men, -2.80% for urban women, -2.28% for rural men and -2.88% for rural women. During this period, there was no significant alteration in the annual percent change (APC) in standardized mortality rate from stomach cancer between urban men and urban women. The APC in standardized mortality rate of stomach cancer in rural men in 1988-2008 (APC=-1.19%, P<0.01) was different from that in 2008-2017 (APC=-4.71%, P<0.01), and the APCin standardized mortality rate of stomach cancer in rural women in 1988-2004 (APC=-1.32%, P<0.01) was different from that in 2004-2017 (APC=-4.83%,P<0.01). The AAPC in truncated mortality rate of stomach cancer was -2.49% for urban men, -3.03% for urban women, -3.27% for rural men and -4.19% for rural women. The change trends in truncated mortality rates from stomach cancer in urban women, rural men and rural women were basically similar to thosein their standardized mortality rates. The truncated mortality rate of stomach cancer in urban men only decreased between 1988 and 1996 (APC=-4.91%, P<0.01), and there was no downward trend between 1996 and 2017. Among urban residents, the mortality rates from stomach cancer in all age groups presented decreasing trends except males aged 50-54 years and females aged 65-69 years. Among rural residents, all age groups showed declining trends in their mortality rates from stomach cancer except males aged 30-34 years and 75-84 years as well as females aged 25-39 years and 80-84 years. Conclusions The mortality rates from stomach cancer in Chinese residents during 1988-2017 generally displayed downward trends, but the decreasing trends of stomach cancer mortality rates differed between urban and rural areas (the decrease rate was higher in rural residents than in urban ones) as well as among different age groups.
2020, Vol. 27 
