Time and age trends for sinonasal cancer in connecticut incidence and US mortality rates

Abstract

Population‐based rates for sinonasal cancer are examined in US mortality data among whites and in Connecticut incidence data. The observed rates are fitted to a log–linear model in order to examine the effect of each of the three variables, age, period and cohort, simultaneously for each sex. For Connecticut incidence, there is little evidence of either an increase or decrease from 1865 to 1955 birth cohorts. For the US mortality rates, from the 1875 to 1950 birth cohorts, there is a decline by more than twofold in men and more than threefold in women. Monitoring of those trends is discussed with respect to increases in exposure to cigarette smoking and formaldehyde. Regarding the age distribution, both incidence and mortality data are consistent: men show a linear increase of the log (rate) with log (age) in a fashion characteristic of other epithelial nongynecologic malignancies; for women, in contrast, there is a downward curvature around age 50 followed by an upward curvature in the 55 to 70 age range. The rate in most postmenopausal age groups is 20% to 67% of the rate expected on the basis of a linear increase of the log (rate) with log (age). The age patterns in women are similar to “Clemmesen's hook” observed for female breast cancer. There is evidence that the pattern in female subjects differs significantly from that for male subjects. The female age pattern requires confirmation in other populations. An etiologic role for sex hormones is hypothesized in view of that age distribution and in view of physiologic and laboratory observations. Copyright © 1987 American Cancer Society