Burden of soft tissue and other extraosseous sarcomas in Albania compared to Southeastern Europe, 1990-2023    

Abstract
Aim: The aim of this analysis was to assess mortality rates and disease burden attributable to soft tissue and other extraosseous sarcomas in Albania compared with South‑Eastern Europe (SEE) and broader European regions between 1990 and 2023.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study data. Crude and age‑standardized mortality rates (deaths per 100,000) and disability‑adjusted life years (DALYs per 100,000) were extracted for Albania, six SEE countries (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Slovenia), and aggregated European regions (Eastern, Central, and Western Europe). Trends were described over time, and regional comparisons were made for 1990 and 2023.
Results: In Albania, crude mortality increased from 0.44 in 1990 to 0.88 in 2023 (deaths per 100,000 population), whereas age‑standardized mortality remained stable at 0.56 (deaths per 100,000 population). During 1990-2023, crude DALYs (per 100,000) increased modestly from 21.6 to 23.4, whereas age‑standardized DALYs (per 100,000) declined from 22.4 to 18.0. Across SEE, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Slovenia exhibited declining burden, whereas Croatia and North Macedonia experienced modest increases. Compared with broader Europe, Albania’s stability contrasted with rising mortality and DALYs in Central Europe and especially Western Europe.
Conclusion: Albania demonstrated stable age‑standardized mortality and declining burden of sarcomas, distinguishing it from several SEE countries and Western Europe. Nevertheless, these findings should be interpreted with caution considering the possibility of underreporting or misclassification of sarcoma cases in Albania.

Keywords: Albania, other extraosseous sarcomas, sarcoma, soft tissue sarcomas, Southeastern Europe.