The objective of this project is to conduct descriptive studies of cancer incidence and mortality to identify leads for further research and to test hypotheses about cancer etiology. Efforts this year included description of the patterns of colorectal cancer by subsite, vulvar cancer, and non- Hodgkin's lymphoma; quantification of the impact of known factors on the non-Hodgkin's lymphoma trends; investigation of the accuracy of death certificates with respect to colorectal cancer deaths and the impact on observed mortality trends; updating of the descriptive epidemiology of several cancers, including the oral cavity, esophagus, skin (excluding melanoma), kidney, bladder, and all cancers combined. Physical measurements of solar ultraviolet radiation (UVB) and epidemiological data on skin cancer, including malignant melanoma, provide scientific evidence related to the potential consequences of continued ozone depletion and climate change (i.e., global warming), and thus may contribute to policy relative to man-made atmospheric pollutants and international agreements to ban their use. Despite reports of stratospheric ozone depletions detected by satellites, our surface-based measurements continue to show no increasing trends in solar UVB radiation in the United States. An exten- sive analysis of cancer incidence patterns and trends in urban Shanghai, China, is underway. Current work is focusing on the international incidence and mortality patterns of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease, oral cancer, and several other forms of cancer. Further analyses of adenocarcinomas of the cervix uteri, lung, esophagus, and stomach are planned. Mapping capabilities using the personal computer are being developed to visually display U.S. mortality data at the county and other geographic levels.
