RESUMEN
BACKGROUND: This descriptive epidemiology study reports the cancer incidence and mortality experience of Northeastern Ontario residents during the 8-year period from 1991-1998. METHODS: Standardized Incidence Ratios (SIRs), Standardized Mortality Ratios (SMRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated for a number of cancer sites (n = 25 for males, n = 26 for females), using rates determined from the Ontario population as the referent population. RESULTS: During the period 1991-1998, 24,019 cases of primary incident cancers (excluding non-melanotic skin cancer) and 11,677 deaths attributed to cancer occurred in Northeastern Ontario residents. Several cancer sites were significantly elevated in Northeastern Ontario residents. For example, trachea-bronchus-lung cancer incidence and mortality rates were significantly elevated. Rates were over 20% higher than those for the province of Ontario, for both males and females (SIR = 122, 95% CI = 118-127; SIR = 123, 95% CI = 117-129 for males and females, respectively; SMR = 125, 95% CI = 120-130; SMR = 125, 95% CI = 118-132 for males and females, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: For both males and females, the cancer incidence and mortality experience of residents of Northeastern Ontario were significantly higher than would be expected based on Ontario cancer rates, overall, and for a number of individual sites. While this study does not identify causal associations between risk factors and disease, these data should aid in cancer control planning, and generating hypotheses for further study.