FEMALE GENITAL-TRACT AND BREAST CANCERS I N FRANCE - GEOGRAPHIC REPARTITION AND ESTIMATION OF THE INCIDENCE

The aim of the study was to assess the incident number of female breas t and genital tract cancers for the whole of France. The study focused on the 1983-1987 period and on 9.1% of the French population. The inc ident number of female breast and genital tract cancers was estimated for each site and for each of eight French administrative regions cove red by a cancer registry qualified through the National Committee of R egistries (Calvados, Cote-d'Or, Doubs, Herault, Isere, Bas-Rhin, Somme , Tarn). Information on mortality rates was available at a regional le vel as well as at a nationwide level. The method estimated the nationa l incidence rate modelizing the regional age-specific incidence rate a s a function of corresponding mortality rate. Breast cancer was the le ading site with 25,277 new cases per year while female genital tract c ancers affected about 13,856 women. The cancer risk, estimated in usin g cumulative rate 0-74 years, was assessed at 7.1% for breast and at 1 .2%, 1.4% and 1.1% for cervix uteri, corpus uteri and ovary respective ly. Breast and genital tract cancers constituted 49% of the whole of c ancers in women. Observed breast incidence rate was stable through Fre nch regions. There were pronounced contrasts in cervix uteri cancer ri sk, and some french regions displayed a high risk close to the observe d European maxima. Interregional contrasts in risk of the other genita l tract cancers were less striking. This study emphasized the importan ce of female breast and genital tract cancers for public health in Fra nce. The main aim of the French Cancer Registries Network is to provid e a comprehensive description of cancer risk in France and to produce pertinent projection to 2005 horizon, combining the present data and t he already accumulated 1988-1992 data.