Rising Mortality of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma Among Older Adults in the United States: An Analysis of Demographic and Regional Trends

ABSTRACT Introduction Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) is the second most frequent primary liver malignancy after hepatocellular carcinoma. Contemporary mortality trends due to ICC are largely unknown. We aim to examine the temporal trends of ICC‐related deaths among older adults in the United States from 1999 to 2022. Methods We utilised the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Wide‐Ranging, Online Data for Epidemiologic Research (CDC WONDER) database, which provides information from death certificates of all US residents according to the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD‐10). Results Between 1999 and 2022, there were 90 996 deaths attributed to ICC among individuals aged 65 and older. Overall, there is an increasing trend in ICC mortality; the total AAMR increased from 5.6 in 1999 to 14.3 in 2022 with an annual increase of 3.3%. Males had consistently higher AAMR than females across all years. For males, AAMR initially increased by 2.9% annually from 1999 to 2015, and since then, the rate has accelerated to a 3.9% annual increase. Conversely, females experienced a steady annual increase of 3.4% in AAMR from 1999 to 2022. When stratified by race, AAMR was highest among the Non‐Hispanic (NH) Asian population, followed by Hispanic or Latino, NH Whites and NH Blacks. In brief, the AAMR has increased for all races; however, the NH Black population has experienced the greatest rise in AAMR during the study duration (APC: 4.0%; 95% CI, 3.5 to 4.8). Large metropolitan areas had a higher overall AAMR than small/medium metropolitan and non‐metropolitan areas, though the rate of increase was comparable across all regions. States within the top 90th percentile of ICC‐related deaths included Minnesota, Alaska, District of Columbia, Wisconsin, Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Conclusions Over the past two decades, there has been a consistent rise in mortality rates associated with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma in the United States. This upward trajectory underscores the imperative for additional research aimed at comprehending and delineating the underlying risk factors driving this increase.