[The trend in tumor incidence and its possible relation to early diagnosis]

In the Federal Republic of Germany age depending participation in the Cancer Screening Programme as carried out by the social health insurance is completely contrary to mortality: high participation in age groups with low mortality and vice versa. Thus the impact of the programme on the epidemiology of malignant tumors is rather limited. In 1977 the expected mortality of cancer of the colon, rectum, breast, or prostate was higher than expected in spite of the screening programme being effective since 1971. Mortality of cancer of the cervix uteri is in most age groups lower than expected, even more than may be due to a high screening effect. But in 1980 35.1 percent of all cases of death by malignancies of the uterus were not specified by site. Thus mortality of cancer of the cervix uteri is of restricted value. By a small study conducted in Stuttgart 1976/77 it may be estimated that about 23 percent of the unspecified cases are cases with cancer of the cervix. 6.6 percent could not be specified definitely.