Lung cancer mortality trends in Canada from 1931 to 1982.

Lung cancer is the leading cancer that causes premature death in Canadian men, and it is the second leading cancer that causes death in Canadian women. To assess the long-term mortality of this disease, we collected and analyzed data from 1931 to 1982. A 3-year base period was used to obtain person-years exposure using the Newton-Cotes method. All rates were standardized to the 1956 Canadian population for age and sex using the direct method. Standard errors of age-standardized death rates (ASDR) were computed using Chiang's method. The ASDRs have increased both for men and women. The increases in older age groups are due to a large, absolute increase in lung cancer-caused mortality in both sexes. Although the absolute increase in lung cancer is greater in men, the percentage of increase is greater in women, especially in the younger age groups. The mortality trends for lung cancer in both men and women appear to be consistent with the tobacco consumption in the population. Given the relatively low survival rates for lung cancer, preventive strategies are urgently required.