Epidemiological study of oesophageal and gastric cancer in south-east England

Background: This epidemiological study was carried out to establish the magnitude of the changing incidence of gastric and oesophageal cancer. Methods: Time-trend analyses of subsite-specific cancers of the oesophagus and stomach were performed using data from the Thames Cancer Registry database (1960-1996) for the South Thames Region. The changes in sex ratio and peak age of incidence are reported. Results: In the upper two-thirds of the oesophagus there was no significant change in the incidence rate, but the lower third of the oesophagus showed a marked rise for both sexes (average annual change + 0.05 for men, + 0.009 for women). For the gastric cardia, the incidence in males increased (average annual change + 0.025), while in females it remained unchanged. Cancers of the oesophagogastric junction showed a clear increase for both sexes (average annual change + 0.07 for men, + 0.009 for women). There were changes in the sex ratio and peak age of incidence for all subsite cancers for both sexes. Conclusion: Over a 37-year period the incidence of cancer of the oesophagogastric junction increased threefold, while the incidence of cancers of the other subsites of the stomach decreased. Further studies are needed to investigate the aetiology of these changes.