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27
From the preceding table it can be seen that the age group
45 to 65 years is still the period of greatest mortality and it may
well be that some significant relationship exists between the increase
in female deaths from lung cancer and the increase in female cigarette
consumption. Current figures give a ratio of approximately 5
males to every female death from this cause compared with an
average of the previous 9 years of 6 to 1.
In 1946, there were 17 deaths of Greenwich residents from
cancer of the lung, approximately one quarter of the total registered
for pulmonary tuberculosis viz. 75. During the current year, figures
of 35 and 8 respectively have been recorded, showing that lung
cancer is now claiming over 4 times as many victims as pulmonary
tuberculosis, a complete reversal of positions within a period of
10 years.
Nationally as well as locally, recent years have shown an exceptionally
rapid decline in the death rate of pulmonary tuberculosis
whereas that for cancer of the lung has increased, one might almost
say, correspondingly.
Public concern was such that early in 1956, after an investigation
by the Medical Research Council, the Minister of Health in
the House of Commons stated inter alia, that ' two known cancerproducing
agents have been identified in tobacco smoke ' and also
that ' there is, statistically, an incontrovertible association between
cigarette smoking and the incidence of lung cancer.'
Despite intensive research, causes of cancer have still to be
determined and atmospheric pollution may yet be proved to be a
potent factor in promoting lung cancer. In this respect the introduction
by the Government of a Clean Air Bill is to be commended.
Consideration has been given at various times to the question
of making malignant diseases notifiable, as in present circumstances
the only information available to a Medical Officer of Health is that
obtained from the death returns ; he, therefore, gains no knowledge
of the incidence of the disease, effect of treatment, recovery rates
or possible pre-disposing factors.
As the result of an investigation by a Sub-Committee set up in
1952 by the Registrar General's Advisory Committee on Medical
Nomenclature and Statistics, the whole question of the future of
cancer registration was referred to the Ministry of Health's Standing
Advisory Committee on Cancer and Radiotherapy. The outcome
was a recommendation to the effect that a simplified card be introduced
for the voluntary registration of all sites of cancer and that