Epidemiology of vulvar cancer in Croatia

AimTo assess the incidence and mortality trends of invasive vulvar cancer in Croatia between 2001 and 2019/2020. Methods The incidence data for the period 2001-2019 were obtained from the Croatian National Cancer Registry. The number of deaths from invasive vulvar cancer by age groups between 2001 and 2020 was obtained from the Croatian Bureau of Statistics. Joinpoint regression analysis was used to assess the trends and trend changes. Results Joinpoint regression analysis of vulvar cancer inci-dence rate showed a non-significant average annual per-cent increase (APC) of 0.8 (95% confidence interval [CI] =-0.3-2.0) during the whole period. There was also a non -sig-nificant increase in women under 60, with an average APC of 1.0 (CI =-1.6-3.7) during the whole period; similar results were obtained in women over 60 years of age (APC = 0.9; CI =-0.3-2.1). The average annual percent increase in vulvar cancer mortality rate was 0.2% (CI =-1.0-1.5), with a similar trend in women over 60 years of age (APC = 0.1; CI = -1.3-1.5). Mortality in women under 60 years of age was not as-sessed due to a very small number of deaths observed in the study period. Conclusion In the studied period, the incidence of inva-sive vulvar cancer in Croatia was stable. Age-standardized rates (for all-ages, under 60, and over 60 years of age) in-creased, but the increase did not reach the level of statis-tical significance. The pattern in younger and older age groups was the same. The mortality rates over the last de-cade were stable.