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Cancer of the larynx (ICD-9 161) In males, an extreme geographical variation was seen in the incidence of laryngeal cancer. All post-socialistic countries except the former GDR showed rates above 79/106, while the rates in Sweden, Iceland and Norway were below 34/106. In mortality, the contrast was even larger, about 6-fold. The mortality/incidence ratio therefore varied greatly between the areas, those with the highest incidence rates also having the poorest survival. In women, the rates in Denmark and Poland (11-12/106) were markedly higher than those in other areas. The age-specific incidence increased in all countries up to the age of 60, and decreased in the oldest age groups, most rapidly in Estonia. In mortality rates there was a consistent increase with age in all Nordic countries and in the former FRG. Comment The strong joint effect of tobacco and alcohol seems to explain most of the spatial variation.
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