Geographic variation of Hodgkin's disease in Japan.

Abstract

Death certificates in Japan from 1969 to 1976 were analyzed. Higher mortality rates from Hodgkin's disease were found in the areas along Shibushi Bay. on Yaku Island and on some other small islands of Kagoshima, Nagasaki. and Miyazaki prefectures (range of standardized mortality ratios: 331-2.230). No apparent aggregation of high mortality areas of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma was found although mortality from all malignant lymphomas combined was also generally high in these prefectures in Kyushu. The high mortality from Hodgkin's disease in Kagoshima and Nagasaki prefectures was presumably not due to a bias in clinical diagnosis as far as Japanese autopsy reports (1958-76) were analyzed. It was suggested that etiologic factors for Hodgkin's disease exist which are specific to these prefectures, and especially to some small coastal localities in the southern Kyushu prefectures. (Hodgkin's disease. Japan. Mortality data. Autopsy reports)