CHILDHOOD-CANCER IN BRITAIN - THE NATIONAL REGISTRY OF CHILDHOOD TUMORS AND INCIDENCE RATES 1978-1987

The National Registry of Childhood Tumours contains population-based d ata on childhood cancers diagnosed throughout Great Britain from 1962 onwards. This paper describes the methodology of the Registry, present s incidence rates for 1978-1987 and describes other uses of the data. Total age-standardised annual incidence was 118.3 per million. The mos t frequent diagnostic groups were leukaemias (age-standardised rate 39 .8), brain and spinal tumours (27.0), lymphomas (11.1), sympathetic ne rvous system tumours (8.3), kidney tumours (7.7) and soft-tissue sarco mas (7.5). Incidence rates were similar to those reported from other W estern industrialised countries. The data are also used for a wide ran ge of epidemiological and other studies. These include analyses of geo graphical variations in incidence, trends in survival, health of long- term survivors and their offspring and the genetics of childhood cance r. Information is frequently provided for clinicians and research work ers, and series of specific types of cancer are compiled for further s tudy. The Registry depends for the completeness and accuracy of its da ta on a wide range of organisations and individuals, and it is essenti al that this cooperation continues if the Registry is to be maintained .