Kr. Muir et al., CHANGING INCIDENCE AND GEOGRAPHICAL-DISTRIBUTION OF MALIGNANT PEDIATRIC GERM-CELL TUMORS IN THE WEST MIDLANDS HEALTH AUTHORITY REGION, 1957-92, British Journal of Cancer, 72(1), 1995, pp. 219-223
The West Midlands Regional Children's Tumour Research Group holds high
-quality data from 1957 on all childhood cancers in the West Midlands
Health Authority region. Since it has been reported that malignant ger
m cell tumours are increasing in incidence in the north-west of Englan
d, we undertook to examine rates in this region and to map the distrib
ution of cases in order to assess any geographical changes in incidenc
e rates. We identified a total of 102 malignant germ cell tumours (MGC
Ts) between 1957 and 1992. The average age-standardised rate was 1.6 p
er million per year in the period 1957-74 and 3.6 per million per year
during 1975-92, a significant increase (P=0.0004). Particular increas
es were noted in older children (10-14 years); P=0.0002) and in yolk s
ac (endodermal sinus) tumours (P=0.004). A small excess was also obser
ved in Asian children when compared with other diagnoses. Geographical
analysis showed particularly higher rates at health district level in
the West Midlands conurbation as compared with the other areas in the
period 1975-92. These factors suggest the possibility that industrial
/urban or population effects may be implicated in the observed increas
e in childhood MGCT and we recommend these areas for further studies.