Chordoma in Finland.

During the period 1953-1971, 20 cases of chordoma were reported to the Finnish Cancer Registry. Twelve of the patients were males. The mean annual (crude) incidence of chordoma in Finland was 0.30/10(6) in males, and 0.18/10(6) in females. Fifteen of the tumours were sacral, three vertebral, and two cranial. Local recurrences were common, and distant metastases were observed in 60 per cent of the cases; this exceeds the proportion usually mentioned in the literature. The commonest treatment was surgery combined with postoperative high-dose irradiation. The relative 5-year survival rate was 35 per cent, and the 10-year rate 18 per cent.