AGE-SPECIFIC INCIDENCE OF CANCER IN KINGSTON AND ST-ANDREW, JAMAICA, 1988-1992

During the period 1988 - 1992, a total of 4,030. malignant neoplasms w ere recorded in kingston and St. Andrew, Jamaica. These comprised 1,82 9 in males and 2,201 in females. Histological confirmation was obtaine d in 83.4%. The crude incidence rate for males was 128.5, and 136.2 fo r females. The age standardized rates (ASR) were 179.9 for males and 1 66.1 for females. Age-specific rates by site, sex and age are tabulate d. Attention is drawn to increased incidence for cancers of prostate, larynx, bronchus and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in males. There was also a n increase in female breast cancer (crude rate 36.0, ASR 47.1). Invasi ve cervix cancer has shown no significant change in incidence. Neoplas ms of the body of the uterus have increased (crude rate 7.6; ASR 9.5%) . The rise in cancer of breast and body of uterus suggests that the in fluence of exogenous oestrogens should be considered.