DIFFERENCES IN CANCER MORTALITY, INCIDENCE, AND EARLY DETECTION RATES AMONG EIGHT MEDICAL AREAS WITHIN AKITA PREFECTURE

The purpose of this study was to obtain basic data regarding the difference among medical area within Akita prefecture with which to formulate policies to reduce cancer mortality.　We enrolled all cancer patients in Akita prefecture registered in “the population-based cancer register” between 2013 and 2017.　The cancer standardized mortality rate, cancer standardized incidence rate, and early detection rate for gastric cancer, colorectal cancer, liver cancer, lung cancer, female breast cancer, and cervical cancer were analyzed in 8 medical areas within Akita prefecture (Daisen, Yokote, Yuzawa, Ohdate, Kita-akita, Noshiro, Akita, and Yuri-Honjo). This revealed that the cancer mortality, incidence rates and early detection differed among the medical areas evaluated. Low early detection rates were correlated with high cancer standardized mortality rates in nearly all areas. The immediate challenge differed among these areas, depending upon the cancer involved. In several medical areas the early lung cancer detection rate among men was only 20%. Early detection of cervical cancer was high, exceeding 80% in several areas. Based on these results, we suggest that implementing detailed cancer controls targeted to each medical area would be an effective way to reduce the cancer mortality rate in Akita prefecture