Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Annual report of the Medical Officer of Health for the year 1927
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organs are more readily available nowadays than formerly.
Part of the increase is due to the fact that people live
longer and that fewer babies are born so that there
are proportionately more adults and especially more
elderly adults in the general population who are more
liable to cancer than the younger generation. It is,
however, generally agreed that in addition to the apparent
increase due to better diagnosis and the larger
number of adults in the population there is a real
increase in the cancer death-rate.
Cancer in males and females.—Ninety-eight deaths
were recorded in males and 122 in females. This shows
a greater excess in the number of female deaths than
in the country as a whole, but the figures for Fulham
are too small to enable us to base conclusions as to
the relative liability of males and females to cancer.
The fact that more deaths from cancer occur in females
than in males might give the impression that females
are much more liable to contract the disease. It is to
be remembered, however, that females outnumber males
in the general population and when allowance is made
for the relatively large number of females* it is found
that taking the country as a whole and especially in
London, males are actually more liable to cancer than
females except between the ages of 25 and 45 at which
age period cancer of the female generative organs,
especially the uterus, occurs.
The number of deaths during recent years from cancer in the Borough is shown in the following table:—
The number of deaths during recent years from cancer in the Borough is shown in the following table:— | |
1923 | 212 |
1924 | 221 |
1925 | 198 |
1926 | 262 |
1927 | 220 |
* The standardised cancer death-rate which takes into account
the relative number of males and females as well as the ages of the
individual is greater in males except between the ages of 25 and 45.