Mortality associated with non-melanoma skin cancer in Spain from 1979 to 2018: trends and age-adjusted rates

Background Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSCs) are the most frequent group of malignant tumours worldwide. Objectives The aim of the present research was to analyse mortality associated with NMSC in Spain between 1979 and 2018 and highlight changes regarding trend in mortality and differences according to age groups and gender. Materials & Methods Death records and mid-year population data were collected from the National Statistics Institute. Age-standardized mortality rates were calculated. Significant changes in mortality trends were identified using Joinpoint regression. The independent effects of age, period and cohort and potential years of life lost due to NMSC were also analysed. Results Mortality rates associated with NMSC in Spain were reported as 2.49 per 100,000 inhabitants in 1979 (95% CI: 2.24-2.77) and 1.27 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2018 (95% CI; 1.16-1.39) for the overall population. Women who were born after the 70 s showed a significant increase in relative risk of death due to NMSC. Conclusion Mortality associated with NMSC in Spain shows a decreasing overall trend that appears to have stabilized since 2005, with the exception of women between 35 and 64 years old.