S177 24-Year Trends in Gallbladder Carcinoma Deaths in the United States: Insights From the CDC WONDER Database

Introduction: Although relatively rare, gallbladder cancer, characterized by its aggressive nature and poor prognosis, accounts for over 50% of all malignancies in the biliary tract. Contemporary mortality trends due to gallbladder cancer (GBC) are largely unknown. The study aims to examine the temporal trends of GBC-related deaths among older adults in the United States from 1999 to 2023. Methods: We utilized the Centers for Disease Control (CDC WONDER) database to access the national mortality records from 1999 to 2023. The demographic and mortality data were obtained for the United States adult population aged ≥25 years. Gallbladder cancer-related deaths (ICD-10: C23) as a contributing or underlying cause of death were identified. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR) per 100,000 population were calculated by standardizing deaths to the 2000 United States standard population. Using the Joinpoint regression program, we calculated the average annual percentage change (AAPC), along with 95% confidence intervals, to analyze trends. Results: Overall, 55,383 deaths associated with GBC occurred between 1999 and 2023. There is a declining trend in GBC mortality, the total AAMR decreased from 1.30 in 1999 to 0.85 in 2023 (AAPC -1.4). The AAMR remained consistently higher in women (overall AAMR: 0.74) than in men (overall AAMR: 1.2) throughout the study period, and the AAMRs for both decreased (APC men: -1.2%; women: -1.4%). When stratified by race, AAMR was highest among the Hispanic population (1.57), followed by Non-Hispanic (NH) Blacks (1.39) and NH Asians (1.16). In brief, the AAMR has decreased for all races except for NH blacks. The Hispanic population has experienced the greatest decline in AAMR during the study duration (AAPC: -1.4%). Adults aged >65 years exhibited higher AAMRs (3.73) compared to adults aged 25-64 years (0.57). Geographically, metropolitan areas (1.10) exhibited higher AAMRs compared to non-metropolitan areas (0.96), with Northeast region showing highest mortality. Conclusion: Over the past 2 decades, there has been a consistent decline in mortality rates associated with gallbladder carcinoma in the United States. Specific demographic groups, including individuals in metropolitan areas, men, Hispanics, Blacks and Asians populations have experienced disparities. These disparities necessitate further investigation and targeted solutions for these subgroups.