Gender, Racial, and Geographical Disparities in Malignant Brain Tumor Mortality in the United States

Abstract Background Malignant brain tumors are malignancy which are known for their low survival rates. Despite advancements in treatments in the last decade, the disparities in malignant brain cancer mortality among the US population remain unclear. Methods We analyzed death certificate data from the U.S. CDC WONDER from 1999 to 2020 to determine the longitudinal trends of malignant brain tumor mortality. Malignant brain tumor (ICD-10 C71.0-71.9) was listed as the underlying cause of death. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) per 100,000 individuals were calculated by standardizing the AAMR to the year 2000 U.S. population. Results From 1999 to 2020, there were 306,375 deaths due to malignant brain tumor. The AAMR decreased from 5.57 (95% CI, 5.47–5.67) per 100,000 individuals in 1999 to 5.40 (95% CI, 5.31–5.48) per 100,000 individuals in 2020, with an annual percent decrease of -0.05 (95% CI, -0.22, 0.12). Whites had the highest AAMR (6.05 [95% CI, 6.02–6.07] per 100,000 individuals), followed by Hispanics (3.70 [95% CI, 3.64–3.76]) per 100,000 individuals, Blacks (3.09 [95% CI, 3.04–3.14] per 100,000 individuals), American Indians (2.82 [95% CI, 2.64-3.00] per 100,000 individuals), and Asians (2.44 [95% CI, 2.38–2.50] per 100,000 individuals). The highest AAMRs were reported in the Midwest region (5.58 [95% CI, 5.54–5.62]) per 100,000 individuals) and the rural regions (5.66 [95% CI, 5.61–5.71] per 100,000 individuals). Conclusions Our study underscores the importance of addressing the disparities in malignant brain tumor that existed across different genders, races and geographic regions.