OBJECTIVETo analyze the level of mortality of brain tumor and its changes at different periods in China.

METHODSDeath records for tumor of brain and central nervous system, which the code of international classification of diseases-10 (ICD-10) were C70-C72, were extracted from the database of the Third National Retrospective Sampling Survey of Death Causes in China during 2004 to 2005. The corresponding population data was linked to the data of death records, that the total population was 142 660 482 person years (72 970 241 person years in male, 69 690 241 person years in female). Then crude death rate, age-specific death rate, the constitute proportion to all death caused by tumor and the age-standardized death rate were calculated by taking reference of Chinese standard population or the world standard population. The indexes of mortality were compared with that of previous retrospective surveys of death causes at 1973 - 1975 and 1990 - 1992.

RESULTSThe result showed that during 2004 to 2005, the number died from brain tumor was 4463 and the crude death rate in China was 3.13/100 000, which accounted for 2.30% of the all number died from tumor (193 841 cases). The age-standardized death rate by Chinese standard population was 2.37/100 000 and the age-standardized death rate by the world standard population was 2.90/100 000. Of which, there were 2556 death cases for males with crude death rate of 3.50/100 000. While for females, the crude death rate was 2.74/100 000 (1907 death cases). Age-standardized death rates by Chinese standard population in male and female were 2.71/100 000 and 2.03/100 000 respectively. The age-standardized death rate by world standard population was 3.31/100 000 for male and for female that was 2.48/100 000. The age-specific death rate of brain tumor in China was increasing as age growing. The crude death rates were 3.78/100 000 (1809/47 899 806), 2.80/100 000 (2654/94 760 676), and the age-standardized death rates by Chinese standard population were 2.71/100 000 and 2.20/100 000 for urban and rural area respectively, and the crude death rates of brain tumor in east, middle and west region were 3.60/100 000 (1894/52 556 694), 3.14/100 000 (1565/49 781 225), 2.49/100 000 (1004/40 322 563). The age-standardized death rates by Chinese population were 2.57/100 000, 2.43/100 000 and 2.02/100 000. Compared to the data in the first survey during 1973 to 1975, in which the crude death rate was 1.13/100 000 and age-standardized death rate by Chinese standard population was 1.10/100 000, the crude death rate and age-standardized death rate by Chinese standard population were increased by 176.99% and 115.45% respectively. While compared with the second survey during 1990 to 1992, that crude death rate was 1.89/100 000 and age-standardized death rate by Chinese standard population was 1.74/100 000, the rising percent of the rates were 65.61% and 36.21% respectively.

CONCLUSIONThe level of mortality of brain tumor has been changing with an increasing trend from the period of 1973 - 1975 to the period of 2004 - 2005. The rate in male was higher than that of female with great diversity in different areas in China.