Objective: The objective of this study is to present the characteristics of urological cancers in the Hérault department based on data of this department's cancer registry.
Methodology: We analysed the course of all urological data over a 14-year period, from 1987 to 2000, based on the Hérault cancer registry database. Incidence and mortality chronological trends, the risk of cancer before the age of 75 years, and regional estimations were calculated for each cancer site. Data for each cancer site were also compared to French, European and international data.
Results: 9,556 urological cancers were reported over a period of fourteen years: 8,779 in males and 777 in females. Urological cancers represented 30.1% of all male cancers and 3.6% of all female cancers. The probability of developing a genital cancer before the age of 75 years for a man was 12.6% and the probability of a urinary tract cancer was 3.2% in males and 0.8% in females. The incidence of prostate cancer has more than tripled over this 14-year period, while the mortality has remained stable. The incidence of renal cancers in both sexes is also increasing, while that of bladder cancers is decreasing. The incidence of cancers of the penis, testis and upper urinary tract has remained stable over time.