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 assessment of the patterns of total cancer, oral/pharyngeal cancer, esophageal adenocarcinoma, lung cancer by histologic type, cervical cancer, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, the leukemias, and childhood cancers. Current work is focusing on recent cancer incidence and mortality trends by age group for total and individual cancers, laterality of ovarian cancer, seasonality of melanoma diagnosis, cohort patterns of prostate cancer, and guidelines for graphical presentation of temporal data. Further analysis of ocular melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and cancer among women, particularly breast cancer, are planned. Mapping capabilities using the personal computer are being developed to visually display geographic variation in U.S. cancer mortality rates.
