Cancer of the eye, a review of trends and differentials.

An analysis was made of the incidence and mortality of cancer of the eye in different countries. In general, cancer of the eye was more common in males than in females. The differences in both incidence and mortality rates between countries were great, the white populations in Scandinavia exhibiting the highest rates. The rates were rather constant over time, and only a few increasing or decreasing trends were observable. Tumours in children 0-14 years of age and those in adults were also epidemiologically distinct entities, which suggests differences in etiology. Both incidence and mortality rates in adults were positively correlated to the latitude of the country or area, and a positive correlation was also found between the incidence or mortality rate for cancer of the eye in adults and those for cutaneous melanoma.