Cancer Trends from National Statistics brings together into one comprehensive reference source information of the cancer burden in England and Wales, making this report essential reading for cancer specialists, researchers and medical librarians. The report provides both summary and more detailed information on trends in cancer incidence, mortality, prevalence and survival at the national and regional levels during the second half of the last century. For example "Between 1950 and 1999, the proportion of deaths due to cancer rose from 15 to 27 per cent for males and from 16 to 23 per cent for females." The summary chapter ensures that readers who only require an overview can quickly access information on the incidence of and mortality from all malignant cancers for nine of the most important individual cancer sites; the prevalence of major cancers; and details of survival trends by age, sex and socio-economic deprivation. Researchers will then benefit from the reports detailed results on incidence, mortality, prevalence and survival which are presented in 20 separate chapters for each of the main cancer sites which together constitute almost 90% of all malignancies in both males and females. Each chapter also includes a brief description of the epidemiology of the particular cancer, its global significance, known or suspected causes, risk factors and treatment. Cancer trends also features a chapter on several types of childhood cancer which together constitute 82% of all childhood cancers.
(Incidence figures cover the period 1971-97 and figures for the last three years are provisional, but are reliable, being based on data from half of the regional cancer registries in England and Wales. Mortality data cover the period 1950-99.)