[Urologic cancer mortality in France]

In 1989, 14,150 men died from urological cancer in France: 64% of these deaths were due to prostatic cancer, which represents the second highest cause of male cancer mortality in France. Deaths from urological cancer are mainly observed after 50 years of age, with a frequency which increases very rapidly with age, except for testicular cancer for which one out of every two deaths occurs between 20 and 45 years of age. Between 1968 and 1989, increased mortality was observed in males due to prostate cancer and kidney cancers, whereas a decreased mortality was observed for testicular cancer, especially in males between 20 and 45 years of age. Mortality was stable for bladder cancer and cancer of the penis. In females during the same period, mortality was stable for cancer of the kidney and bladder. During the period 1979 to 1984, a significant increase in mortality due to bladder cancer was observed in certain Northern departments and those surrounding the Mediterranean basin, although the mortality for other cancer sites is generally lower in this latter region. A significant increase in mortality was also observed for cancer of the kidney in Auvergne and in Alsace-Lorraine. Regarding prostatic cancer, geographical variations are minor and no particular region with an increased or decreased mortality could be identified.