SOCIOECONOMIC DIFFERENTIALS IN CANCER INCIDENCE AND MORTALITY IN URBAN NEW-SOUTH-WALES, 1987-1991

Cancer incidence and mortality in urban residents of New South Wales ( NSW), 1987 to 1991, were analysed according to socioeconomic status (S ES) for males (m) and females (f). Incidence rates displaying a negati ve gradient with SES at P < 0.01 included: cancers of the mouth and ph arynx (m), oesophagus (m), stomach (m,f), liver (m), pancreas (m), lar ynx (m), lung (m,f), cervix, kidney (m,f) and all cancers combined (m) . Negative mortality gradients at P < 0.01 were observed for mouth and pharynx (m), stomach (m,f), rectum (m), liver (m), larynx (m), lung ( m,f) and cervix, and all cancers (m,f). Those sites for which incidenc e showed a positive gradient with SES included: colon (m,f), melanoma (m,f?, breast (f), prostate and testis. For cancer mortality for speci fic sites no significant (P < 0.01) positive gradients were observed, although for melanoma (m,f) a positive gradient at P < 0.05 was found. Mortality for all cancers considered together in both sexes was signi ficantly higher in the low SES group compared to the high SES group. T his is partly because the more-fatal cancers are more common in the lo wer SES groups. Diet, tobacco use, reproductive factors, occupational and sun exposures are likely to be associated with the patterns observ ed but are not investigated in this study. Variations in health care b etween SES groups may also be partly responsible for some of the diffe rences.