Author Description

This is the first atlas of cancer incidence in England and Wales, showing in 75 and tables color maps the distribution of many different types of cancer in the country, based on over 3 million malignancies during 1968-85. Cancer risks are presented in relation to degree of urbanization, and the separate geographic distributions within rural, urban, and metropolitan parts of England and Wales are discussed. Maps for certain cancers are shown by age-group. The present geographical distributions of cancers are compared with the patterns in maps from 50 years ago, several of which are reproduced. This work considers the relationships of cancer distributions to those of potentially causal factors. The known risk factors for each cancer are discussed, and the geographic distributions of many of these factors presented in maps and tables. The atlas demonstrates how the distributions of certain cancers, such as lung cancer, have changed greatly, while others, such as stomach and breast cancers, have remained little altered over the last half century. This work will be of value to epidemiologists and oncologists.