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49
With the exception of Cancer of the Uterus, deaths from which
remained unaltered, and those for Other Forms of Cancer which
showed a reduction of 2.4%, figures for cancer of other sites
registered increases. Indeed, a total of 190 deaths indicated a rise
of 34 (almost 22%) in Lung Cancer, mainly as a result of the
doubling of the incidence in females to an aggregate of 51, while
an almost similar increase was witnessed in Cancer of the Breast,
viz. 21% to 58 and Leukaemia deaths jumped from 10 to 18 to
record a disturbing advance of 80%. The total of 592 cancer
deaths was equivalent to 23.9% of deaths from all causes, indicating
that approximately one death in every five resulted from some form
of cancer. The following table shows the various sites affected:—
Site Male Female Total Rate*
Cancer of stomach 41 28 69 0.29
„ „ lung, bronchus 139 51 190 0.82
„ „ breast 58 58 0.25
„ „ uterus 14† 14 0.06
„ „ other forms 124 119 243 1.05
Leukaemia 8 10 18 0.07
Totals 312 280 592 2.54
* Per 1,000 population
† cancer of the cervix—8 (rate 0.03)
Nationally, the number of cancer deaths is rising mainly due to
the increase in cancer of the lung, deaths from which have been
advancing at a rate of over 1,000 per year since 1960. Indeed, the
present total for England and Wales, viz. 28,250 indicates that not
only has the annual rise of 2% been more than maintained (the
1967 figure is 4.5%) but that the total, which shows an increase of
60% over the last decade, gives a national rate of 0.58. Figures
for Greater London, which has consistently returned a high rate
from this cause, follow the national pattern and a current rate of
0.73 is returned compared with the Borough rate of 0.82. A reduction
of 15% in lung cancer deaths of residents during 1966 defies
explanation but the current year's figure is even less favourable
than that returned for 1965.
Although death rates throughout the country for women who die
from cancer of the lung continue to increase, there are still five times
as many men as women dying from this cause. In Greenwich,
however, the rate in women rose from 0.20 per 1,000 in 1966 to 0.42
in 1967 and the ratio of male to female deaths from this cause is
less than 3 to 1. This rapid increase was confined to women over
55 years of age.