Ethnic differences in cancer incidence and mortality: the Birmingham Factory Screening Project

BACKGROUND: There is little information on ethnic differences in the incidence of cancer and cancer mortality among adults in the UK, particularly concerning Afro-Caribbean people. AIM: To examine differences in the incidence of malignant cancer and cancer mortality rates among White European, Afro-Caribbean, and South-Asian people, and to examine baseline demographic predictors of cancer mortality. DESIGN: Longitudinal cohort study. METHODS: We compared ethnic differences in the incidence of malignant cancer and cancer mortality over a mean (SD) follow-up of 19.9 (4.8) years, in relation to baseline demographic characteristics and blood pressure variables, in the 2713 participants (2090 White European men and women, 428 Afro-Caribbean men and women, and 195 South Asian men) enrolled in the Birmingham Factory Screening Project whose survival status on 31 December 2003 was known. RESULTS: White European women had a significantly higher incidence of cancer compared to Afro-Caribbean women (p=0.019). In addition, South Asian men had a significantly lower incidence of cancer compared to White European men (p