Impact of aging on the incidence and mortality of urological cancers: 20-year projection in Spain

Abstract

IntroductionIn 2020, 282,421 new cases of cancer were diagnosed in Spain, and urological neoplasms (UN) were among the most frequent ones. Cancer treatment in eldery people is challenging due to fragility and comorbidities of these patients. To meet the needs of treating UN in the eldery, it is necessary to optimize healthcare resources, for which a deep analysis of cancer registries becomes mandatory. The objective of this work was to provide a detailed analysis of the incidence and mortality of UN in Spanish people over 65 years old in the last year 2020, as well as the estimates for the year 2040. Material and methodsIncidence and mortality estimates were obtained from the GLOBOCAN database. The urological neoplasms that were included were: testicle, bladder, penis, kidney and prostate. ResultsIn 2020, 63,278 cases of UN were diagnosed in Spain. Most UN were much more frequent among patients >65 years old, except for testicular cancers. For the year 2040, an incidence increase of 41.5% is estimated, reaching 89,507 new cases of UN per year, with approximately 3 out of 4 patients being over 65 years old. Deaths in people over 65 will increase by 60.15% in 2040. ConclusionIn the next two decades, it is expected that new cases UN in people over 65 years will increase above 50%. For Healthcare systems to face it, greater financial and human resources, as well as multidisciplinary teams with experience and geriatric training will be necessary.