Demographic characteristics of cancer of the pancreas: mortality, incidence, and survival.

Mortality and incidence rates for pancreatic cancer in the United States were examined by various demographic characteristics. Disease rates have continued to increase over time but at a much slower pace than in earlier years. Most recently available rates for blacks were significantly higher than for whites and rates for males of each race were higher than for females. Income and education levels had little influence on incidence rates among either blacks or whites. Incidence rates were not significantly higher in urban as compared with rural areas of Iowa and Colorado. The two-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer was about 5% in recent years and did not vary significantly by race or sex. Smoking and diabetes, the two risk factors most consistently associated with the pancreatic cancer, explain only a small proportion of the disease. Much epidemiologic work remains to be done.