Endometrial carcinoma (EC) is a significant cause of mortality among women globally. The mortality patterns and temporal trends of EC in China warrant close attention and intensive study. Mortality data of EC from 2004 to 2021 were obtained from the Chinese Death Cause Monitoring Results Datasets, which provide systematically stratified mortality information for the Chinese population, including death counts, rates, and cause-specific compositions by region, urban-rural classification, age, and sex. Cases were stratified into urban and rural categories based on standardized classification criteria, and temporal trends in EC mortality were analyzed using Joinpoint regression. From 2004 to 2021, a mortality of 2.63/105 population from EC were recorded in China. Both the crude mortality rate (CMR) and the age-standardized mortality rate (ASMR) exhibited an initial decline followed by a slight increase. The overall average annual percentage change (AAPC) in ASMR was − 5.44%. Specifically, the ASMR declined significantly before 2015, with the maximum annual percent changes (APCs) of -20.59% occurring from 2012 to 2015, and then it increased slightly. However, differences were observed between the trends of urban and rural ASMR. The urban ASMR declined significantly at a sustained rate (AAPC/APC = -5.47%), whereas the rural ASMR exhibited three distinct stages: APCs of -3.37% from 2004 to 2012, -24.07% from 2012 to 2015, and 1.32% after 2015. Overall, the rural ASMR showed a greater decline (AAPC = -5.83%) compared to urban areas. From 2004 to 2021, the mortality of EC in China initially declined and then increased. Despite the rural ASMR declined more pronounced than urban ASMR, its mortality remained consistently higher. These findings provide evidence to support health resource prioritization in EC prevention and clinical management.
Zhong et al. (Tue,) studied this question.