[Primary lung cancer in Denmark. Historical and current developmental tendencies]

This study describes the development of lung cancer incidence in Denmark based on analysis of the Danish Cancer Registry database containing files on 97,281 lung cancer patients diagnosed in 1943-1994 in Denmark. Since 1960, lung cancer has been the most frequent type of cancer in Danish men, excluding skin cancer, the incidence reached its maximum in 1985, being 100 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants, but thereafter the incidence began to level off. During the study period, the incidence of lung cancer in Danish women was somewhat lower than in men, but increasing and was in 1994 46 per 100,000 inhabitants. Adenocarcinoma is the most frequent histological subtype in women and is the only histological subtype in men that is increasing in incidence. In conclusion, a decrease has been observed in the incidence of lung cancer among Danish males while the incidence of lung cancer in Danish women is increasing. Taking the actual development in incidence into account, the incidence of lung cancer will continue to fall among men and rise among women, leading to a reversal of the classical gender ratio in about 15 years.