Lung cancer incidence trends by histologic type in areas of California vs. other areas in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program.
BACKGROUND
This study compared temporal trends in incidence rates for the major histological types of lung cancer in areas of California (CA), which started a comprehensive state tobacco control program in 1989, and other selected geographic areas for which data on long-term trends were available.


METHODS
Age-standardized incidence rates (ASIRs) within age 25-64 years, most likely to have been affected by tobacco control programs, were compared for lung-bronchus adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and small cell carcinoma in 1992-2005 for non-Hispanic whites in three areas of CA in the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) Program vs. 10 non-CA SEER areas. For 1985-2005, data were available for all whites in the San Francisco-Oakland CA SEER area and eight non-CA SEER areas.


RESULTS
ASIRs were roughly similar in CA and non-CA areas in 1992, but declines from 1992 to 2005 were larger in CA than non-CA areas for each histological type. In San Francisco-Oakland CA, declines were not clearly evident from 1985 to 1988 (before the tobacco control program started) but from 1992 to 2005 declines were larger than in the non-CA areas.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings provide further support for expansion of statewide tobacco control programs, in order to reduce incidence rates for all histologic types of lung cancer.
Polednak
Anthony P
AP
Connecticut Tumor Registry, Connecticut Department of Public Health, Hartford, CT 06134-0308, USA. anthony.polednak@ct.gov
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018426:SEER Program; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects