Canadian patterns of the incidence of and mortality from malignant neoplasms of the eye, orbit and related adnexa were examined for the periods 1970-82 and 1965-85 respectively. Age-standardized incidence rates remained stable for both males and females, at about 0.81 and 0.60 per 100,000 population per year respectively. However, age-standardized death rates declined significantly for both males and females (p = 0.0008 and 0.0035 respectively). The decrease in age-specific incidence rates for males aged 75 to 84 years was marginally significant (p = 0.096). The significant reductions in age-standardized death rates for males and females were mainly attributable to significant reductions for males aged 24 years or less, 45 to 54 and 65 to 74 and for females aged 24 years or less and 55 to 64 (p less than 0.015 and 0.05 respectively).