Abstract
BACKGROUND: Prostate cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death among men worldwide, with an estimated 375,304 deaths in 2020 and a mortality rate of 7.7 deaths per 100,000. It stands as the leading cause of cancer mortality in 48 countries. We aimed to analyze the prostate cancer mortality trend in Montenegro for the period 1990-2018 using regression techniques. METHODS: The data concerning prostate cancer mortality in Montenegro from 1990 to 2018 was collected. Mortality rates were age-standardized to the World Standard Population for estimating both overall and gender-specific trends. The joinpoint, linear and Poason regression were applied for trend assessment. RESULTS: In Montenegro, during the period from 1990 to 2018, 1,184 individuals died from prostate cancer. The average annual number of deaths was 40.8, with an average age-standardized rate of 8.3. For the period 1990-2018, rates statistically significantly increased on average by 2.4% annually [AAPC (95%CI)=2.4% (1.4-3.4); P<0.001]. An increase in mortality rates was observed among individuals aged 65-74 by 1.1%, which was not statistically significant (P=0.452), and among those aged 75-84 by 2.7%, which was statistically significant [AAPC (95%CI)=2.7% (1.3-4.1); P<0.001]. Almost 50% of all deaths occurred in men aged 75-84, and nearly a third in the age group 65-74. CONCLUSION: The rising trend in prostate cancer mortality indicates the need for more effective prevention, screening, early diagnosis, and treatment measures for prostate cancer in Montenegro with special focus on older men.