INTERNATIONAL DIFFERENCES IN EPIDEMIOLOGY OF LUNG ADENOCARCINOMA

In Europe, the squamous cell carcinoma is the most frequent non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) subtype and until now, no increase in inciden ce of lung adenocarcinoma (ADC) has been described (except in the Neth erlands), in contrast to North America where ADC predominates. Our aim was to compare the percentage of ADC in Montreal (MTL), Canada, with that in Strasbourg (STBG), France. We prospectively identified patient s with NSCLC in MTL and in STBG over an 8-month period and described t he distribution of NSCLC by sex, age, subtype and smoking history. A t otal of 172 patients in MTL and 166 in STBG were identified. The male/ female ratio was significantly different in STBG (12:1) and in MTL (2: 1). The percentage of ADC was significantly higher in MTL (40%) than i n STBG (30%). This difference is partly due to the higher number of wo men with NSCLC in Montreal combined with the predominance of ADC in wo men. The proportion of ADC decreased with age in STBG, but was similar in each age category in MTL. In STBG, most women with NSCLC had never smoked (69%), in contrast to MTL where only 16% of women had never sm oked. In conclusion, ADC is more frequent in MTL than in STBG. This is partly due to the higher number of women with NSCLC in MTL combined w ith the predominance of ADC in women. The greatest proportion of ADC s ubtype in the youngest cohorts of men in STBG suggests that ADC may be on the rise in this city. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd.