Atlas of Cancer Incidence in Norway 1970–1979

When computerized data mapping became available in Norway in the 1970s, the idea occurred to us that the occurrence of the more frequent cancer forms should be depicted on maps by means of the cancer incidence for small reference units and published as a cancer atlas. The well-founded assumption that 70%–90% of all cancers are caused by exogenous factors (Higginson 1979) which are not evenly distributed represents the rationale for producing a cancer atlas. In a stable population one will accordingly expect the incidence of the different cancer sites to vary geographically — with a latency delay — in accordance with the local exposure to the actual, site-specific carcinogens.