[Teenage smoking and lung cancer incidence in early adult age, 1954-1998].
OBJECTIVE
To describe national trends in Norway in lung cancer incidence among young adults and its relationship to adolescent smoking.


METHODS
Between 1954 and 1998, a total of 1108 non-carcinoid lung cancers in individuals aged 20-44 were reported to the Cancer Registry of Norway. Temporal variations were studied in age and sex-specific rates, in age-adjusted rates, and in cohort specific rates. The association between cancer incidence and smoking prevalence was evaluated.


RESULTS
The incidence among women aged 40-44 in Norway continued to increase into the most recent time interval (1994-1998) whereas the rate among men aged 40-44 was essentially constant after 1970. Consequently, the incidence rates converged among male and female young adults. The incidence at age 40-44 was highly correlated with smoking prevalence at age 15-19 in males (r = 0.88) and females (r = 0.82) within the same birth cohort.


CONCLUSIONS
The lung cancer incidence in young Norwegian women now equals that of men. The risk at age 40-44 was closely associated with teenage smoking, indicating that duration and age of onset are important.
Strand
Trond-Eirik
TE
Det medisinske fakultet, Universitetet i Tromsø, 9037 Tromsø.
Malayeri
Columbo
C
Eskonsipo
Petri K J
PK
Grimsrud
Tom K
TK
Norstein
Jarle
J
Grotmol
Tom
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012042:Registries; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*