Unmasking the lethality: National mortality patterns of pancreatic cancer in the U.S.

680 Background: Pancreatic cancer continues to be a highly deadly disease, with survival rates improving more slowly than other common cancers. This study evaluates long-term U.S. mortality trends, examining variations across demographic groups and shifts in the place of death. Methods: We analyzed mortality data from the CDC WONDER database (1999–2023) for adults with pancreatic cancer (ICD-10: C25) as the underlying cause of death. Age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMRs) and crude mortality rates (CMRs) were calculated per 100,000 population. Joinpoint regression was used to estimate annual percent change (APC) and average annual percent change (AAPC). Subgroup analyses were performed by sex, race/ethnicity, age, region, urban–rural residence, and place of death. Results: From 1999 to 2023, 999,829 deaths were reported from pancreatic cancer in the U.S. The AAMR increased from 17.19 in 1999 to 18.53 in 2023 (AAPC: 0.35; p