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Tuberculosis of the Respiratory System was responsible for
13 of the deaths in this category, one death being attributed to the
remaining forms of tuberculosis.
At 0.14, the Pulmonary Tuberculosis rate was 0.09 higher than
that returned for the previous year.
Cancer.—Cancer is generally considered to be a disease of
middle and old age and, as indicated in my Annual Report for
1950, as the proportion of middle-aged and elderly persons in the
population becomes greater, one would normally expect a rise in the
incidence of this disease. In addition, improved diagnosis and
more accurate certification will effect an apparent rise in the number
of cancer deaths. An increase in numbers therefore, is not, per se,
necessarily an indication of increased morbidity.
General.—As a disease cancer is rapidly becoming one of the
main impediments to a healthy nation. Much can be done in the
field of preventive medicine by vigorously attacking such problems
as cigarette smoking and air pollution and, in addition, judiciously
altering the popular attitude towards cancer which is that it is
incurable. It is true that some 100 years ago all cancers eventually
proved fatal but the situation to-day is rather different. Some
cases are serious and incurable—some become serious if not dealt
with expeditiously—others, taken in time are curable. More
patients each year are cured of cancer and although this is doubtless
due to improved techniques in treatment, a significant portion
of the cures can be attributed to the fact that more people seek
earlier medical advice.
In Greenwich, cancer was responsible for a total of 172
deaths giving a rate of 1.93 per thousand compared with 2.01 for
the previous year, still indicating that approximately one in every
five deaths resulted from cancer of one form or another. Since