London's Pulse: Medical Officer of Health reports 1848-1972
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Hints from the Health Department. Leaflet from the archive of the Society of Medical Officers of Health. Credit: Wellcome Collection, London
Greenwich 1963
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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Following table has again been included in order that the trend in this Borough may be studied:- DEATHS FROM CANCER OF LUNG (including Bronchogenic Carcinoma)
| Year | AGE GROUPS | Totals | Grand Total | Rate per 1,000 Pop. | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25 and under 45 yrs. | 45 and under 65 yrs. | 65 and under 75 yrs. | 75 and upwards | |||||||||
| M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | M | F | |||
| 1953 | 3 | – | 12 | 4 | 7 | – | 1 | – | 23 | 4 | 27 | 0.29 |
| 1954 | – | – | 21 | 3 | 13 | 5 | 5 | – | 39 | 8 | 47 | 0.52 |
| 1955 | 2 | 1 | 16 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 29 | 6 | 35 | 0.39 |
| 1956 | 1 | – | 29 | 3 | 16 | 1 | 8 | – | 54 | 4 | 58 | 0.65 |
| 1957 | 2 | 2 | 24 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 39 | 7 | 46 | 0.52 |
| 1958 | 3 | 1 | 20 | 5 | 9 | – | 4 | 2 | 36 | 8 | 44 | 0.49 |
| 1959 | – | 1 | 25 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 43 | 7 | 50 | 0.56 |
| 1960 | 2 | 1 | 25 | 3 | 19 | 2 | 7 | 4 | 53 | 10 | 63 | 0.71 |
| 1961 | – | – | 30 | 1 | 13 | – | 2 | 2 | 45 | 3 | 48 | 0.56 |
| 1962 | 1 | 1 | 22 | 3 | 15 | 4 | 10 | 4 | 48 | 12 | 60 | 0.71 |
| 10 yr. Average | 1.4 | 0.7 | 22.4 | 3.0 | 11.6 | 1.6 | 5.5 | 1.6 | 40.9 | 6.9 | 47.8 | 0.54 |
From the preceding table it can be seen that the age group
45 to 65 years continues to be the period of greatest mortality, and
deaths in this group consistently constitute approximately half
the deaths attributed to lung cancer. At present the trends in
Greenwich with regard to lung cancer closely follow those discernable
in the national figures. Since 1950 the numbers dying from
cancer of the lung in England and Wales has almost doubled to
the current figure of 24,422 giving a rate of 0.52 per thousand of
the population. This compares with a rate of 0.70 for London
and 0.67 for Greenwich.
Despite the Royal College of Surgeons' report of 1961 on
"Smoking and Health," and the more recent report of the
Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the United States
Public Health Service, which collectively or separately leave no