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 1969
[Report of the Medical Officer of Health for Greenwich Borough]
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53
connotations not met with in other diseases, claimed 565 victims
(316 males and 249 females) during the year under review, an
increase of 13 over those recorded during 1968.
During 1969, deaths from carcinoma of the breast rose by 17 to
62, an increase of almost 38%, and those from cancer of the
stomach advanced by 18% to 66. Mortality from cancer of the
uterus declined by l/3rd to a total of 10 and the 158 deaths
arising from carcinoma of the lung indicated a slightly more
favourable trend. Cancer of the bladder accounted for some 18
deaths during the year.
The total of 565 cancer deaths was equivalent to 22.1% 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* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 2 | 12 | 0.05 | |
| Oesophagus | 9 | 6 | 15 | 0.07 |
| Stomach | 35 | 31 | 66 | 0.29 |
| Intestine | 30 | 33 | 63 | 0.28 |
| Larynx | 5 | 2 | 7 | 0.03 |
| Lung, Bronchus | 139 | 19 | 158 | 0.70 |
| Breast | — | 62 | 62 | 0.27 |
| Uterus | — | 10t | 10 | 0.04 |
| Prostate | 15 | — | 15 | 0.07 |
| Others | 66 | 79 | 145 | 0.64 |
| Leukaemia | 7 | 5 | 12 | 0.05 |
| Totals | 316 | 249 | 565 | 2.49 |
* Per 1,000 population
† Cancer of the Cervix—5 (rale 0.02)
Lung Cancer—The persistent rise in total cancer deaths throughout
the country is due, almost entirely, to an 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 of 29.768
for England and Wales with a calculated rate of 0.61 indicates an
average yearly increase of 3.5% over the last decade. The Borough
rate of 0.70, a figure similar to that for 1968, compares favourably
with that of 0.75 for Greater London, a conurbation which has
consistently returned a high figure while following the national
pattern.
Although death rates in the country for women who die from
lung cancer continue to increase, there are still five times as many