Cancer of the pancreas in California, 1942-1967. The California Tumor Registry experience.

California Tumor Registry data on pancreatic cancer for the period 1942-1967 (6,344 cases) was reviewed. Ninety-five percent of the cases were diagnosed after age 45. A male to female sex ratio of 1.5:1 was noted. In the 6,344 cases there were no Chinese females. Relative survival rates in the period covered ran between 1.8 and 2.3 percent. The mean survival from time of diagnosis was only 2.2 months, far worse than reported elsewhere. High incidence, low median age at diagnosis, and poor survival in Negroes suggest the need for a broader epidemiologic study focusing on specific predisposing factors in that race.