Cancer incidence

Data are collected by the International Agency on Research on Cancer (IARC) and supply the GLOBOCAN 2002 database with the support of past and present EU action programmes on cancer and public health (DG SANCO). Incidence data are available from cancer registries. They cover entire national populations, or samples of such populations from selected regions. The prevalence of cancer (persons who are alive with cancer diagnosed within a given number of years of diagnoses) is estimated. Cancer data are always collected and compiled sometime after the events to which they relate, so that the most recent statistics available are always "late". The degree of lateness varies, but in order to make comprehensive (worldwide) estimates of burden, it is necessary to use data that are several years old. GLOBOCAN 2002 presents estimates for the year 2002. However, although the populations of the different countries are those estimated for the middle of 2002, the disease rates are not those for the year 2002, but from the most recent data available, generally 2-5 years earlier. It should be emphasized that:

• These estimates are based on the most recent data available at IARC, but more recent figures may be available directly from local sources.
• Because the sources of data are continuously improving in quality and extent, estimates may not be truly comparable overtime and care should be taken when comparing these estimates with those published earlier. The observed differences may be the result of a change in the methodology and should not be interpreted as a time trend effect.
• The Age-Standardized Rate (ASR, world standard) is calculated using the 5 age-groups 0-14, 15-44, 45-54, 55-64, 65+. The result may be slightly different from that computed using the same data categorised using the traditional 5 year age bands.