Lung cancer in the USSR: patterns and trends

Lung cancer in the USSR has become the most frequent type of tumour in males. In females, however, lung cancer rates are far behind rates for cancer of the breast, stomach and cervix. In 1980, lung cancer accounted for about one-fourth of newly diagnosed cancer cases in males and about one-sixth of all cancer cases in both sexes. The incidence of lung cancer is increasing in the USSR. In the five Soviet republics for which time trends have been examined in this paper, increases in lung cancer incidence have been observed in men for all ages, with the exception of the age group 30-39 years. Modest increases in lung cancer are seen in women in the older age groups, while small decreases or stabilization of rates are observed in younger age groups. However, there are two exceptions: statistically significant increases in Georgia for women aged 40-49 years, and an upward trend in Lithuania in urban females born in the years 1932 and 1937, suggesting that these particular groups of women smoke more than other women in the areas for which lung cancer time trends have been analysed. The continued increase in cigarette consumption in this country explains the rising trends in lung cancer and, moreover, leads to the prediction that this increase will continue for another 30-40 years.