Lung cancer rates have peaked among men in many areas of the world, but rates among women continue to rise. Most lung cancers are squamous cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, or adenocarcinoma; trends vary according to type. We compiled populationbased morphology-specific incidence data from registries contributing to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) databases. Unspecified cancers and carcinomas were reallocated based on a registry, time period, sex and age group-specific basis. Where available, data from several registries within a country were pooled for analysis. Rates per 100,000 person-years for 1980-1982 to 1995-1997 were age-adjusted by the direct method using the world standard. Squamous cell carcinoma rates among males declined 30% or more in North America and some European countries while changing less dramatically in other areas; small cell carcinoma rates decreased less rapidly. Squamous and small cell carcinoma rates among females generally rose, with the increases especially pronounced in the Netherlands and Norway. In contrast, adenocarcinoma rates rose among males and females in virtually all areas, with the increases among males exceeding 50% in many areas of Europe; among females, rates also rose rapidly and more than doubled in Norway, Italy and France. Rates of all lung cancer types among women and adenocarcinoma among men continue to rise despite declining cigarette use in many Western countries and shifts to filtered/low-tar cigarettes. Renewed efforts toward cessation and prevention are mandatory to curb the prevalence of cigarette smoking and to reduce lung cancer rates eventually. ' 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Key words: lung cancer incidence; histology; trends There have been epidemics of lung cancer as incidence and mortality rates rose rapidly during the 20th century, especially among men and in the industrialized countries. 1,2 Among men, rates in the United States, Canada, England, Denmark and Australia have peaked, but they continue to rise in Spain, China and Japan. 1 Among women, rates have been considerably lower, increases started later and rates in most areas have not yet peaked. During 2000, an estimated 1.2 million cases were diagnosed, and 1.1 million deaths were attributed to lung cancer. Lung cancer may appear as squamous cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, large cell carcinoma and a variety of other less frequent types. 3 The patterns and trends in incidence have varied by type, 4,5 related to differences in smoking patterns and exposures to other lung carcinogens. 1,6 The availability of populationbased histologic-specific incidence data from a number of registries contributing to the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) databases 7 allows us to investigate the patterns in a number of geographic areas in a comprehensive fashion. Material and methodsPopulation-based cancer incidence data have been collected by many registries around the world for a number of years, and the IARC has compiled and published the data in the s...

The purpose of our study was to examine the incidence patterns of 2 major histologic types of esophageal cancer, in selected countries world-wide and to identify components of birth cohort, period and age as determinants of observed time trends using regression modeling. The roles of temporal changes in specification of histology of tumors and of classification of cancers at the gastroesophageal junction as esophageal or gastric in origin were taken into consideration. In all, 56,426 esophageal cancer cases were included. The results indicate that the incidence rate of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus has been relatively stable in most of the countries analyzed, although increasing trends were observed in Denmark and the Netherlands (Eindhoven) among men and in Canada, Scotland and Switzerland among women. There was a significant increase in the incidence of esophageal adenocarcinomas in both sexes in the United States (among whites and blacks), Canada and South Australia and in 6 European countries (Scotland, Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Sweden and Norway). In France the increase was limited to men and in Switzerland the increase was observed only in women. Modeling was unable to distinguish which trends were the results of changes in risk between generations (as cohort effects), or changes in all age groups simultaneously (as a period effect).

Time trends in the incidence of squamous‐cell carcinomas of the cervix during the period 1973–1991 were examined using data provided by 60 population‐based cancer registries from 32 defined populations in 25 countries. Three components of the incidence trend were studied: age, calendar period of diagnosis and birth cohort. Cumulative incidence rates per 1,000 person‐years for 2 groups, age ranges 25–49 and 50–74 years, were calculated from the model that best described the incidence data. A significant decline in incidence was noted in the American populations (except for US Hispanic), Australia, the non‐Maori women of New Zealand, northern and western Europe (except Italy and Spain, where the rates remain stable) and Asian populations (except Malay women of Singapore, who have stable rates). These trends were of similar magnitude for the whole age range studied (25–74 years). An increasing trend, mainly restricted to younger women, was found for Slovakia, Jewish women born in Israel and the United Kingdom. In Slovenia, the increasing trend was observed for all age groups. The predominant pattern shown by cancer registries in developed countries is of a reduction in the incidence of squamous cervical cancer. This could be, at least partially, attributed to the widespread practice of screening for cervical lesions. The major exception to the pattern is observed in the United Kingdom, though the increasing incidence in young women has changed to a decrease in recent years. There are only a few series covering a long period of time in developing countries, but there is little evidence for a major impact of screening. Int. J. Cancer 86:429–435, 2000. © 2000 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.

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