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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Dec 1.
Published in final edited form as: Curr Epidemiol Rep. 2018 Oct 3;5(4):418–431. doi: 10.1007/s40471-018-0174-8

Table 1.

Characteristics of and relevant findings from studies examining age, period, and cohort effects in cancer incidence and mortality

Author (year) Cancer type Geographic location Data source, years Method Relevant findings
Altekruse (2009) Liver U.S. SEER 9, 1975–2015; SEER 13, 1992–2015 Not reported

  • Age-adjusted incidence rates tripled between 1975 and 2005

  • Age-specific incidence rates increased in successive birth cohorts born between 1900 and 1959
Anderson (2010) Gastric U.S. SEER 9, 1973–1991; SEER 13, 1992–1999; SEER 17, 2000–2006 Estimable function approach

  • Across all racial/ethnic groups, age-standardized incidence rates declined from 1977–81 to 2002–06

  • Among whites, age-specific incidence rates declined through the 1947 birth cohort, then increased across successive cohorts
Andreassen (2016) Bladder Norway Cancer Registry of Norway, 1981–2014 Estimable function approach

  • Among men, age-standardized incidence rates increased from 1981 to 1989 and remained stable from 1990 to 2014

  • Age-specific incidence rates increased among birth cohorts born after 1910
Anfinsen (2011) Bone1 U.S. SEER 9, 1976–2005 Estimable function approach

  • Age-standardized incidence rates stabilized from 1976 to 2005, with the exception of chondrosarcoma among women

  • Age-specific incidence rates of osteosarcoma declined in successive birth cohorts born between 1905 and 1934
Arnold (2017) Esophagus Multiple2 Cancer Incidence in Five Continents, 1988–2007 Not reported

  • After 1985, age-standardized incidence rates of adenocarcinoma exceeded rates of squamous cell carcinoma

  • Cohort trends not described
Bao (2016) All China (Shanghai) Shanghai Cancer Registry, 1973–2010 Estimable function approach

  • Among men, age-standardized incidence rates (all cancer combined) declined from 1973 to 1996, stabilized from 1996 to 2001, and declined from 2001 to 2010; among women, rates declined from 1973 to 1980, stabilized from 1980 to 1996, increased from 1996 to 2001, and stabilized from 2001 to 2010

  • Starting with persons born around 1930, age-specific incidence rates declined across successive birth cohorts for colorectal (men only), prostate, kidney, lymphoma, thyroid, breast (women only), ovarian, and uterine cancers
Chaturvedi (2008) Oral cavity U.S. SEER 9, 1973–2004 Estimable function approach

  • Age-adjusted incidence rates of HPV-related cancers increased from 1973 to 1982, stabilized from 1983 to 1999, and increased from 2000 to 2004

  • Age-specific incidence rates of HPV-related cancers increased among birth cohorts born after 1930
Chaturvedi (2013) Oral cavity Multiple3 Cancer Incidence in Five Continents, 1983–2002 Estimable function approach

  • Among men, age-standardized incidence rates increased from 1983 to 2002 in economically developed countries

  • Cohort trends not described by country
Franco-Marina (2009) Breast Mexico National Institute of Geography and Statistics, 1980–2005 Estimable function approach

  • Age-standardized mortality rates increased from 1982 to 1987 and declined between 1987 and 2005

  • Age-specific mortality rates increased among birth cohorts born between 1935 and 1950, and more slowly after 1950
Franco-Marina (2015) Breast Multiple4 Cancer Incidence in Five Continents, 1988–2007 Estimable function approach

  • Age-standardized incidence rates fluctuated from 1988 to 2008, and changes were not significantly different

  • In most countries, age-specific incidence rates increased across successive birth cohorts born after 1940
Gangnon (2015) Breast U.S. SEER 9, 1975–2010 Estimable function approach

  • Age-adjusted incidence rates increased from 1940 to 1980 and then declined through to 2010

  • Age-specific incidence rates of premenopausal breast cancer increased among birth cohorts born from 1890 to 1900, except for slight declines among those born in 1930 to 1950
Gilhodes (2015) Lung, oral cavity, esophagus5 France Regional cancer registries, 1982–2010 Estimable function approach

  • Among men and women, age-standardized incidence rates of lung cancer declined from 1982 to 2012; among men only, rates of oral cavity and esophageal cancer declined from 1982 to 2012

  • Among men, age-standardized incidence rates (all cancers) declined across successive birth cohorts from 1940 to 1970
Ito (2011) All Japan Osaka Cancer Registry, 1968–2007 Estimable function approach

  • Among men, age-standardized incidence and mortality rates (all cancers combined) increased from 1968 to 1985, stabilized from 1985 to 1998, then declined through to 2007; among women, incidence rates increased from 1971 to 1985 and stabilized after 1998; mortality rates among women declined in the same period
Jemal (2012) Lung6 U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, 1973–2007 Estimable function approach

  • Starting in the 1990s, age-specific mortality rates declined among women ≤70 years

  • In Alabama, age-specific mortality increased among birth cohorts born from 1983 to 1933, plateaued, and then increased from the 1950 birth cohort forward
Jemal (2018) Lung U.S. NAACCR, 1995–2014 Estimable function approach

  • Age-specific incidence rates declined from 1995 to 2014

  • Age-specific incidence rates declined across successive birth cohorts; among women, rates increased among birth cohorts born from 1950 to 1960 and subsequently declined
Lopez-Abente (2010) Colorectal Spain European Network of Cancer Registries, 1975–2004 Estimable function approach

  • Age-adjusted incidence rates increased from 1975–79 to 2000–04; age adjusted mortality rates increased from 1975–79 to about 1998, then subsequently declined

  • Age-specific incidence and mortality rates increased across successive birth cohorts born from to 1900 to 1950, then subsequently declined
Ma (2013) Pancreas U.S. National Center for Health Statistics, 1970–2009 Estimable function approach

  • Among white men, age-adjusted mortality rates declined from 1970 to 1995 and then increased through 2009; among white women, rates increased from 1970 to 1984, stabilized from 1984 to 1988, and then increased through 2009; among black men and women, rates increased from 1970 to 1989, then declined to 2009

  • For white and black men, age-specific mortality rates declined after the birth cohort born in 1910
Murphy (2017) Esophagus U.S. SEER 9, 1973–2012 Hierarchical model

  • Age-specific incidence rates increased from about 1990 to 2012

  • Age-specific incidence rates increased across successive birth cohorts born from 1885 to 1950
Niclis (2011) Prostate Argentina Cordoba Ministry of Health, 1986–2006 Estimable function approach

  • Age-standardized mortality rates increased from 1986 to 1996 and declined through to 2005

  • Cohort trends not described
Petrick (2016) Liver7 U.S. SEER 18, 1992–2012 Estimable function approach

  • Age-specific incidence rates increased across successive birth cohorts born from 1895 to 1959 and declined after the 1960 cohort
Pocobelli (2008) Liver Canada Canadian Cancer Registry, 1976–2000 Estimable function approach

  • Among both men and women, age-adjusted incidence rates increased from 1976 to 2000

  • Among men, age-specific incidence rates increased across successive birth cohorts born from 1985 to 1955; among women, rates increased across successive birth cohorts from 1895 to 1935, stabilized from 1935 to 1950, and increased after the 1955 cohort
Pou (2011) Bladder Argentina Cordoba Ministry of Health, 1986–2006 Estimable function approach

  • Among men, age-standardized mortality rates declined from 1986 to 2006; among women, rates increased from 1986 to 1996 and declined from 1996 to 2006

  • Starting in persons born after 1931, age-specific mortality rates declined across successive birth cohorts
Rosenberg (2012) Leukemia8 U.S. SEER 13, 1992–2009; SEER 18, 2000–2009 Estimable function approach

  • Age-standardized incidence rates of CML and CLL declined from 1992 to 2009; rates of ALL increased during the same period

  • Starting with persons born around 1946, age-specific incidence rates of ALL increased across successive birth cohorts
Siegel (2017) Colorectal U.S. SEER 9, 1974–2013 NCI web tool

  • Age-specific incidence rates declined among adults ≥55 from the mid-1980s to 2013; among adults <55, rates increased starting in the mid-1990s through to 2013

  • Age-specific incidence rates declined across successive birth cohorts born from the late 1880s to 1940, then increased for subsequent cohorts
van Steenbergen (2009) Colorectal Netherlands Eindhoven Cancer Registry, 1970–2006 Estimable function approach

  • Age-standardized incidence rates of colon cancer increased from 1975 to 2004, and rectal cancer rates remained stable

  • Age-standardized mortality rates increased from 1970 to 1975 and subsequently declined through to 2006

  • Starting with persons born after 1920, age-specific incidence rates increased, and mortality rates declined, across successive cohorts
Viel (2011) Breast France Doubs Cancer Registry, 1987–2003 Estimable function approach

  • Age-standardized incidence rates increased from 1978 to 2003

  • Age-specific incidence rates increased across successive birth cohorts born from 1920 to 1940, declined from 1940 to about 1960, and subsequently increased after the 1960 birth cohort
Wang (2015) Breast Multiple9 WHO Mortality Database and Cancer Statistic Registries, 1953–2012 Intrinsic estimator

  • Age-standardized mortality rates increased in East Asian countries (except urban China) from 1955 to 2010; rates in the U.S. stabilized before 1990 and then declined through 2010.

  • Starting with persons born after 1950, age-specific mortality rates declined across successive birth cohorts in all regions
Yan (2015) Liver U.S. SEER 18, 2003–2011 Not reported

  • Period trends not described

  • Among baby boomers (1945–1965), pre-baby boomer, and post- baby boomer cohorts, incidence increased from 2003 to 2011
Yang (2013) Bladder, kidney China (Shanghai) Shanghai Cancer Registry, 1973–2005 Intrinsic estimator

  • Age-standardized incidence rates of bladder cancer increased from 1973 to 2005; rates of kidney cancer increased from 1973 to 2005

  • Age-specific incidence rates of bladder cancer peaked among persons

Abbreviations: SEER, Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results; NR, not reported; HPV, human papillomavirus; WHO, World Health Organization; NAACCR, North American Association of Central

women, rates of kidney cancer Cancer Registries; IE, Intrinsic Estimator; CML, chronic myeloid leukemia; CLL, chronic lymphocytic declined among birth cohorts before leukemia; AML, acute myeloid leukemia; ALL, acute lymphoblastic leukemia

1

Bone cancer includes osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and chondrosarcoma

2

U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia, Denmark, U.K., France, Netherlands, Croatia, Italy, Spain, Slovakia

3

India, Japan, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, Austria, Denmark, Estonia, France, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, U.K., Canada, U.S., Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador

4

Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Manitoba, Canada, U.S.

5

Gilhodes (2011) only included young adults age 20–44 years

6

Jemal (2012) estimated trends among women only

7

Petrick (2016) reported projected (vs. observed) incidence rates by time period

8

Leukemia included chronic myeloid leukemia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, and acute lymphoblastic leukemia

9

China, South Korea, Japan, U.S.