Temporal trends of cancer mortality in eastern New England compared to the nation, 1950-1975.

Cancer mortality trends among the white population in eastern New England are compared to National trends for the years 1950-1975 for 62 age and sex-standardized sites. The 26 years considered in the study are divided into five time periods (1950-1954, 1955-1959, 1960-1964, 1965-1969, 1970-1975) representing rates age-adjusted to the 1960 white population. The findings show that male cancer mortality in eastern New England is increasing at a rate consistently higher than and almost parallel to National male cancer mortality. Female cancer rates in eastern New England are declining, but less rapidly than National female cancer mortality. Female lung cancer in the study region has experienced a dramatic increase from 1950 to 1975; and the greatest increases occurred in areas of the lowest relative urbanization.