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65
CANCER.
It will be seen that the deaths from cancer in the whole Borough constituted 51 per
cent. of all the deaths recorded during the five years 1891-5, and that the proportion has risen
uninterruptedly to 92 in the three years 1911-13. In Queen's Park Ward (formerly part of
"Chelsea Detached") the proportion has risen from 3.8 percent. in 1891-5 to 7.7 in 1906-10,
but has not increased beyond that figure.* In the old Parish the proportion, which was 5.3
in 1891-5, increased to 9.4 in 1911-13. In this part of the Borough the proportion reached a
maximum of 10 per cent. in 1912. From the statement given on page 67 it is apparent that the
greater part of the increase of 11 per cent. in the total mortality (persons) from Cancer observed
during the years 1909-12 has been caused by the heavier mortality among males—increase of
27 per cent.
Table 40 presents a distribution of the deaths recorded during the past year, distinguishing
the variety of new growth, with sub-divisions (1) as to site of the disease and (2) as to ages of
the deceased. The absence of records of deaths at ages 0-25 is very unusual. Last year the
principal sites of the growths were the Digestive and Urinary Systems in men, and in women the
Generative and Digestive.
The mortality recorded in the Borough last year was at the rate of 128 per 1,000 persons,
as compared with a rate of l.23 in 1912 and an average of 1.18 for the five years 1908-12. The
recorded mortality rates for the Wards are set out below. In five of the Wards last year's,rates
were below those of 1912, but the three southern Wards (Lancaster Gate, East and West, and
Hyde Park) were the only Wards where the 1913 rate was less than the average.

In the circumjacent districts (Table 24) the mortality rate recorded last year in Westminster
(141) was higher than that observed in the Borough. The Kensington rate was the solitary
exception to the general increase above the average (1908-12). As a rule the recorded rate in
Paddington has been one of the highest of all such rates for the Metropolitan Districts.
Under the term " cancer" are grouped several forms of malignant new growths, the majority
of which do not occur until late adult life or old age, and, further, are more common among
females than males. The corrections which ought to be applied have already been considered.
(See page i9.) For the reasons there set out two series of standardised rates are submitted in
Tables 25 and 26. With all its defects Table 26 appears to be preferable to Table 25 for present
use, inasmuch as it permits a continuous comparison to be made between the rates of the circumjacent
districts and those of the Wards of the Borough. The highest standardised rate obtained
last year in the districts included in the table was that of Westminster (1.30), that of St.
Marylebone (115) being the next, with that of the Borough (110) third. In each of the three
years 1911-13 those three districts have been at the top of the scale. The standardised rates for
years prior to 1911 based on the standard mortality rates here used have not yet been calculated.
Turning to the Wards of the Borough, a striking contrast will be observed between the rates for
the three southern Wards and those for the five northern. The maximum rate in 1913 was
recorded in Maida Vale Ward (1.58) and the lowest (0.50) in Lancaster Gate, West, Ward. In
each of the three years the maximum rate has been in Maida Vale Ward, but the minimum has
been on two occasions in Lancaster Gate, East.
* The proportion during the three years 1911.13 was also 7.7 per cent.
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