Lung, breast, and colorectal cancer: the relationship between extent of disease and age at diagnosis

We examined the relationship between age and extent of disease at initial diagnosis as part of a population-based, prospective study documenting the patterns of care received by over 1500 newly diagnosed lung, breast, and colorectal cancer patients identified in nine Rhode Island hospitals. For each cancer site examined, no age by extent of disease relationship was observed; however, analysis by sex among lung cancer patients indicated an inverse age relationship for men. The absence of an age effect for breast cancer patients is in contrast to earlier research findings that identify a positive association between extent of disease and age at diagnosis. Past results may reflect age-related differences in patient and physician screening behavior characteristic of earlier time periods. (October 1988)