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24
Cancer.—During 1951 Cancer deaths accounted for one-fifth
of all deaths in the Borough, i.e., one in every 5 deaths resulted
from Cancer of one form or another.
This disease was responsible for a total of 198 deaths with a
death rate of 2.22 per thousand, an increase of 0.35 over that of
1950. The figure of 198 shows an advance of 31 over the previous
year, indicating a rise equivalent to 18½% in twelve months.
An increase in Cancer has been apparent since 1901 when the
disease was responsible for 4.2% of the total deaths. In 1911 the
figure was 5.7%; in 1921 it was 10%; in 1931 it had risen to 14.1%
and the figure for the year under review is 19.7%.
The distribution of the 1951 deaths was as follows: 68 in East
Greenwich, 38 in West Greenwich, 13 in St. Nicholas, Deptford, and
79 in Charlton and Kidbrooke.

Cancer has hitherto been considered a disease of middle and old
age and, as indicated in my Annual Report for last year, as the
proportion of middle-aged and elderly persons in the population is
becoming greater, one would normally expect a rise in the incidence
of this disease. Additionally, improved diagnosis and more accurate
certification will effect an apparent rise in the number of cancer
deaths. The noticeable increase in the numbers therefore, is not,
per se, necessarily an indication of increased morbidity. If the
figures given above are perused, it will be observed that the only
significant increase is in Cancer of the Lung and it must be admitted
that there does appear to be a real increase in this particular form.
Although this increase had been suspected, confirmation was not
obtained until the adoption of the new Classification of Deaths.
When it was apparent that an increase would be recorded in the
current year, investigations were made into the previous 6 years'