[The frequency of cancer in France]

Several indicators are available to measure the frequency of cancers, the main being incidence and mortality indicators. If one controls for the effects of population increase and population aging, the incidence of cancer is increasing in France; in the male population the increase is entirely explained by an increase in prostate cancer incidence due to screening, widely used despite not being recommended by the authorities; in the female population most of the increase s explained by increase in breast and lung cancer incidence. Overall cancer mortality decreases both in the male and the female population. The largest variation is a decrease in male mouth, pharynx, larynx and esophageal cancer mortality, due to decreases in the consumption of alcohol and tobacco in this population. One observes also important reductions in prostate and lung cancer mortality, this last reduction being the result of a decrease in tobacco consumption In the female population the largest variation is an increase in lung cancer mortality which is the consequence of increasing tobacco consumption. These results show the importance of individual behavior on the risk of cancer.